Meng Foon

Meng Foon
廖振明
Foon in 2016
11th Race Relations Conciliator
In office
26 August 2019 – 16 June 2023
Monarchs
Prime Minister
Preceded bySusan Devoy
Succeeded byMelissa Derby
Mayor of Gisborne
In office
October 2001[1] – 22 August 2019
Preceded byJohn Clarke
Succeeded byRehette Stoltz
Personal details
Bornc. 1959[2]
NationalityNew Zealand

Meng Liu Foon (Chinese: 廖振明; Cantonese Yale: Liuh Jan-mìhng ; born c. 1959) is a New Zealand politician who served as the mayor of Gisborne from 2001 to 2019. He served as New Zealand's race relations commissioner from August 2019 to June 2023, resigning after failing to declare payments of $2 million he took for emergency housing while director of an investment company.[3] He is one of a handful of people of Chinese descent to have become a mayor in New Zealand. He is fluent in English, Cantonese and Māori . At the time of his departure from the mayoral position he was the only mayor in New Zealand who was fluent in Māori.[4]

  1. ^ "Mayor Meng Foon" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  2. ^ "National Portrait: Meng Foon, te reo Māori speaker, race relations commissioner". Stuff. 8 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Meng Foon resigns as Race Relations Commissioner". Radio New Zealand. 16 June 2023. Archived from the original on 17 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference stepping down was invoked but never defined (see the help page).