Labour’s New MPs carry Taranaki links
Newly-elected MP Deborah Russell is celebrating a journey that has taken her from one of the country’s smallest settlements to a seat in Parliament.
Russell, who won the Auckland seat of New Lynn for Labour on Saturday, was born in the tiny village of Whangamomona, on State Highway 43, the Forgotten World Highway, between Stratford and Taumaranui.
She grew up in New Plymouth and worked in the private sector, including running her own small consulting company, as well as lecturing at universities in Australia and New Zealand, before turning to politics.
She stood as her party’s candidate for the Rangitikei electorate in 2014, which she lost by 11,060 votes to National’s Ian McKelvie.
This time she gave up her job as a senior tax lecturer to run for Parliament. Her three teenage daughters and husband, who was an academic at Massey University, also packed their bags and moved with her.
Russell took the place of former Labour leader David Cunliffe, who stepped out of politics after holding the New Lynn seat for 15 years
In 2014, Labour won by a
4557-vote majority, but this was stripped back to 1886 on Saturday. Russell received 12,997 votes, but National’s Paulo Garcia managed to come in a close second with
11,111 in the historically Laboursafe seat.
She said: ‘‘I am a little bit nervous because I am off to Parliament. It kind of feels like the first day of school.’’
Another new MP with Taranaki links is former TV weatherman Tamati Coffey, who won Waiariki for Labour.
The 38-year-old said his own whakapapa had helped him understand and connect to people.
‘‘The Coffey family comes from Taranaki. We escaped the Taranaki wars and went to (what is now known as) Lower Hutt. I grew up in the Hutt and understand what it is like to be Ma¯ori but incredibly disconnected from the culture. I’ve also lived the marae lifestyle in the provinces, which is great culturally but you feel completely out of the action, which is happening in the big cities.’’