A women with Sri Lankan descent has been elected to Parliament for the first time in New Zealand. She is Vanushi Walters. She is a niece of journalist Richard de Zoysa.
Wanushi is running for parliament in the northwestern Oakland seat from the Labor Party, led by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Aden. Her opponent is Jake Bessant, a New Zealand cricketer from Hamilton. He polled 12,727 preferential votes while Wanushi polled 14,142 preferential votes.
Born in Sri Lanka and moved to New Zealand at the age of five, she currently works as a human rights lawyer and company manager.