Grace Factor
She joins Lynda and Lenora in a special group of women (40–50 years old), contesting the general election.
An outgoing senior school teacher is the latest provisional woman candidate to join the general election.
She is Faith Grace, formerly known as Jacqueline Pareti Savu.
Ms Grace, 44, has tendered her resignation as the Head of Department in Economics at Ratu Navula Secondary School in Nadi.
Her name will be on the remaining list of candidates to be announced by SODELPA soon.
She joins Lynda Tabuya (SODELPA) and Lenora Qereqeretabua (National Federation Party) in a special group of women in the 40-50 years old age group contesting the election.
Ms Grace, who is married to former Fijian international rugby rep Mark Black of Sabeto, Nadi, is the eldest child of the late Savenaca Nasu Vasu, one of the first Fijian pioneering jet pilots for the former Air Pacific. She is originally from Daliconi Village, Vanuabalavu, Lau.
SODELPA’s provisional candidate, Faith Grace.
She said she would be standing from Lami Urban and Sabeto. She said yesterday she was confident of standing her ground and winning a seat.
Ms Grace said: “We need more off the cuff people on both sides of Parliament who can do rebuttals on the spot.
“I can do that. I am very good at arguing.
“You have to have sound argument by making sure that you do your relevant research and homework.
“There are things that are going to be tabled and I have to educate myself on all the issues that I want to contribute to before I go into the debating chamber. So if I have to stand up at any time to say anything I would be able to do it.
“This is important because my voters are depending on me to be their voice in Parliament.”
She said MPs who stood up and read from their papers looked ridiculous.
Ms Grace is confident, outspoken and articulate.
She said she had noticed that there was only a handful of MPs who spoke often in Parliament. She said that was due to lack of preparation.
“What about the rest,” she asked.
She said with the quality of candidates now standing in this election she was confident that would change.
Ms Grace said she would be focusing on education and social policies, if she was elected.
She said the issues would be about how to help ordinary people get ahead in life. She said as a school teacher she had the experience of having to deal with people who were struggling.
