Carmel’s Be ehive buzz ‘I DON’T WANT TO BE THE SOOKIE BUBBA DEPUTY PM’
Our first Pasifika deputy prime minister credits her devoted husband and the rest of her ‘village’ for allowing her to pursue her political ambitions
It’s been two weeks since Carmel Sepuloni was made Aotearoa’s new deputy prime minister and in that time, the proud Pasifika politician has shed her fair share of tears.
There’s the magnitude of what it means to be the firstever person of Pacific descent to hold the role, the outpouring of love and support from her community, not to mention the sense of privilege that comes with such a position. It’s little wonder, perhaps, that emotions have been close to the surface.
“Oh, it’s certainly taken a bit to get my head around it all,” she says with a smile, as she welcomes Woman’s Day into the West Auckland home she shares with her husband Daren Kamali
whanau. and their blended
“There have been a few tears cried this week, but I don’t want to be the sookie bubba deputy prime minister, so I’m going to try to pull back on that!”
Joining her at our photoshoot is Carmel’s biggest supporter, her husband of four years, poet and musician Daren, 47. Together they raise their four sons, aged 24, 16, 12 and nine, and the couple recently became grandparents, with the arrival of their first moko.
“We’re now Nan C and Papa
D,” says Carmel proudly. “And I can’t explain how amazing it is to be a grandparent. It’s a totally different love to that of a parent.” Carmel, 45, who is of Samoan,
- - Tongan and Pakeha descent, might have signed up for one of the biggest jobs in the country, but it’s clear that family comes first. She credits her “village” for allowing her to pursue her political ambitions, pointing to intergenerational living as a key factor in making her and Daren’s home life work.
Carmel’s dad, who migrated from Samoa in the 1960s, lives with them, and Daren’s Fijian family are all nearby and hugely involved in the family’s lives. Their support will be even more vital now as Carmel embarks on the deputy prime minister role, with the passionate politician – who commutes between Wellington and Auckland during the week – readying herself for the heavier workload, more time away and greater responsibility.
“The love for our children surpasses anything else, but the reality is, I’m a different kind of mother because I can’t be there every day,” says Carmen, who grew up in Waitara, Taranaki. “I really believe this is the most important job that I’ll do for my
‘It’s certainly taken a bit to get my head around it all’
children and for my grandchildren. It’s a village of people who are raising our children and I’ll always be so grateful for that.”
She’s also grateful for Daren’s unwavering support. Since the moment they fell in love seven years ago, he’s been there for her as she climbed the political ladder. Carmel might have spent many years as a solo mum, but having Daren by her side makes life so much better, she says.
The pair first met in 2007, when a mutual friend invited her to a mate’s house for a party.
“It was Daren and his mother and aunties, and they were all sitting around having kava
and chicken curry. It wasn’t the party I’d signed up to! But they were all so lovely and I remember leaving thinking, ‘What a nice man.’”
While the timing wasn’t right back then, the pair continued to cross paths and it was clear there was “a little bit of interest there for both of us”.
Fast-forward to 2016 when the two again bumped into each other and Daren suggested they go out on a date. Carmel, however, was in a relationship. “What he didn’t know though was that the relationship was ending and once it did, I contacted him and asked if he still wanted to go out. We’ve been together pretty much ever since.”
A year later, Daren proposed during a New Year’s Eve party in his mum’s garage and the pair were married soon after in a romantic ceremony in Fiji. Carmel says it’s Daren’s creativity she loves the most.
“I’ve always been drawn to creative people the way they think, the work they create. He has a really strong, close family and I love that about him.”
As for Daren, he says he always knew Carmel was different. “She’s an extraordinary woman. She will do anything for those in need, which includes me and the family, even when she’s busy. She always finds the time for us and everyone around her.”
This generosity of time was plain to see during Auckland’s recent devastating floods, when Carmel mucked in late into the night at an evacuation centre in her Kelston electorate. She says it was her strong sense of social justice that first drew her into politics.
While Carmel understands there is greater interest in her now, she’s nervous about sharing too much of her private life. Yes, she chose politics, but her family did not and she’s determined to safeguard them from the often bruising reality of public life. Carmel says she’s still figuring out how to prepare her children for her more highprofile role, but not sharing their names or photos is the first step.
“I am not going to pretend I have had anywhere near the extent of social media attacks that [former PM] Jacinda Ardern has had, but social media is our reality and it can be really nasty. We don’t want our kids to be on the receiving end of some of the horrible things that can be said.
“We need to prepare them for not only what they might hear through social media, but for if strangers approach them and say things that are uncomfortable or offensive.”
She urges people to call out online bullying or trolling.
“We need to hold each other to account as a society. When someone is sitting behind their keyboard and writing something, they need to know their families, their communities, everyone around them, is really public and loud about how that’s not OK.”
Carmel, a longtime friend of the former PM, says while she was sad about Jacinda’s decision to resign, she also breathed a sigh of relief for her good mate and colleague.
“She’s had to deal with so much as prime minister in terms of the unexpected challenges that have come her way. She’s made such a huge difference, but she’s still only human and I certainly was thinking, ‘You do you, girl, you deserve it. Go lie on a beach – do what you want!’”
While Carmel’s family is fizzing about her job as deputy to new prime minister Chris Hipkins, she admits she thought long and hard before accepting the position. She recalls returning from the Labour party caucus meeting in Napier to discuss the idea with Daren.
“We just cried together,” she says. “He talked about how amazing this opportunity is for us, our family and our whole community. Daren reiterated his absolute commitment to supporting me and my role, and supporting our family so I can get on and do this. He’s very proud.”
The pair also sat down with outgoing deputy PM Grant Robertson and his husband Alf Kaiwai to discuss the impact taking the role might have on the family. “The expectations for travel, how much more I will be away from home, the things he was expected to cover for the PM and strategies for managing all of that,” explains Carmel. “I wanted to know more about the job, but also what it’s meant for his family and how he’s managed the pressures. We had a full and frank conversation.”
While she’s held multiple ministerial portfolios (she’s still Minister for Social Development and Employment, and Arts, Culture and Heritage) and has long been seen as one of Labour’s safest pair of hands, the deputy PM role is a step up – and one she feels she’s been preparing for her entire life.
“It’s a massive deal for the whole Pacific community. We have had such a journey
‘It’s a massive deal for the whole Pacific community’
through our migration over here... We came here and worked very hard jobs, experienced the struggle, and always front of mind was our children having a better life. So in many ways, it’s symbolic of the journey.”
Carmel has faced racism at many points throughout her life.
“Any brown person will have experienced racism at some point in their lives; it’s inevitable,” she says. “I have stuck to the approach where I am going to put my head down and remain focused on what I’m here doing. Everything else is what I consider ‘noise.’ Sometimes you just need to shut the noise out because you don’t want it to stop you from getting on and doing the work that needs to be done.”
She wants her success to serve as inspiration for the next generation. “It really is a signal we can be at the top decisionmaking tables and that our contribution is valued. Our young people can aspire to be in these positions.”
Carmel hopes young brown girls will see her and know that they too can get to wherever they want to be. “I hope it shows them you don’t have to come from a wealthy family or a family of status. That everyone – with a little bit of hard work and perhaps some luck along the way, and the right people on that journey – can get there.”
Lisa Marie Presley had not even been in her final resting place for a week before a family war over her estate burst into the public domain.
Her mother Priscilla, 77, last week filed documents in the Los Angeles Superior Court contesting a “purported 2016 amendment” to her 54-year-old daughter’s will that cut her out of the estate, naming Lisa’s daughter Riley, 33, and late son Ben – who died by suicide aged 27 in 2020 – as sole beneficiaries.
SHOCK ALLEGATIONS
Priscilla reportedly questions the validity of the document, alleging that the signature “appears inconsistent with Lisa’s usual and customary signature”, adding that her name had been spelled wrong. The move will pit grandmother firmly against granddaughter, after they buried Lisa together next to Elvis at Graceland on 22 January.
Insiders tell Woman’s Day exclusively that the cracks had already begun to show at the funeral, with Priscilla, her son Navarone Garibaldi and Lisa’s ex-husband Michael Lockwood
arriving on one private jet, and Riley and her husband Ben Smith-Petersen touching down in Memphis separately.
“Priscilla and Riley barely looked at each other the whole time,” says a mourner at the funeral. “The tension between them was palpable.”
A New York Post source claims Priscilla’s court move is “nothing but a money grab” for herself, Navarone, 35, and Michael, 61.
“[Lisa] had no relationship with Priscilla, [Michael] Lockwood or her half-brother,” the insider claimed, despite the mother-daughter duo sitting together at the Golden Globes just two days before Lisa’s death after two cardiac arrests.
“There was a lot of bad blood between them,” TMZ producer Jacob Wasserman explained ahead of the release of the website’s bombshell new documentary. “Yes, they were with each other at the Golden Globes, but some family members told us they were absolutely shocked to see them sitting at the same table.”
Woman’s Day’s own sources say it’s more accurate to say that Riley and Priscilla “don’t really have a relationship”, and maintain Priscilla always remained close to Michael, who suffered a public custody battle with his late ex-wife, which Lisa and “therefore probably” Riley didn’t like.
“Priscilla only stayed close to him for the sake of her grandchildren, Lisa’s 14-year-old daughters Harper and Finley,” assures a source.
Lisa’s well-documented money troubles – including reportedly blowing through her dad Elvis’ $100 million inheritance – will now come to the fore.
BAD BLOOD
Reports suggest she was around $20 million in debt when she died, but according to the TMZ documentary, she had taken out “multiple life insurance policies” before she passed away.
“There’s more than $40 million to be divided among the three kids,” TMZ’s Harvey Levin reveals.
As for the future, reports suggest Riley “wants to maintain a relationship with her sisters. Of course, Priscilla wants to see her granddaughters. Danny absolutely wants to stay in touch with the kids… but there’s a lot of bad blood between Danny and Michael”.
‘Riley and Priscilla don’t really have a relationship’
She describes Celebrity Treasure Island as “a silly little show” – but Jane Yee couldn’t be more of a fan! She’s watched every episode of every season and dissects each melodramafilled moment on her hilariously chaotic Spinoff podcast The Real Pod.
“CTI is such an amazing mix of intense emotion but also ridiculousness,” the Auckland media personality, 44, tells Woman’s Day. “It’s interesting to watch things like Mike King self-eliminating so he can work with suicidal children and then, one minute later, contestants have hooks dangling off their waists and they’re trying to pick up balls.
“It’s stupidly funny seeing the stars in a non-celebrity environment, with the glam stripped back, and I feel like every season gets better.”
Treasure Island: Fans V Faves will certainly be the best series ever for mum-of-three
Jane, who felt “excited and sick with disbelief ” when she got the call to compete late last year.
“It still feels unreal,” she says, with a massive grin. “But I have an advantage in that I’ve done TV before, so I know a little about how things work. This isn’t entirely new for me and I’m not going to let myself get swept away by the glamour of television.”
Indeed, Jane hosted music shows M2 and Squeeze, before becoming a full-time presenter on C4 alongside future “first bloke” Clarke Gayford. Alas, while they still “check in very occasionally”, Jane admits, “We’re not that close any more – I’m not on the guest list for the wedding!”
Of her days in telly, she adds, “I loved that time in my life, but I wish I’d known some of the things I know now. I was encouraged to do a lot of things that I didn’t have the guts to say no to – dumb things, like wearing revealing or unflattering clothes in promo shoots. I wore some terrible, terrible outfits.
"It’s funny to look back on, but there were dynamics where I didn’t feel completely safe as a woman.” (And no, Clarke wasn’t the problem!)
Speaking of outfits, Jane initially insists she doesn’t care about being filmed in her togs on Treasure Island, before adding, “Well, I care a little bit, but it’s really important to me to show that any body is a bikini body, so yes, I packed a bikini. This is a body that’s had three children, including twins, so it’s done its work and should be celebrated.”
Apart from “representing a large percentage of the population with my curves and squidgy bits”, Jane’s other goal is simply not to be the first person eliminated from the reality series.
She explains, “I want my kids to get some decent mum-watching time on
TV – it’ll blow their little minds – and I’d love to get some money for my charity.”
She’s competing for Autism New Zealand, an organisation close to her heart because her eldest son has the condition.
Jane tells, “Life with him is
‘I didn’t have the guts to say no to dumb things’
challenging at times, but no matter how hard it is for us, it’s always harder for him. There are a lot of misconceptions and this really isn’t a world that’s made for autistic people – the more people who can understand the differences, challenges and the amazing things autistic people have to offer, the better we’ll all be.”
She recounts a terrifying moment when her son disappeared from school one day. He was found hiding just half an hour after he vanished, but those 30 minutes were “awful”. Jane recalls, “All the staff were combing the grounds and it had that same vibe of when they’re searching for a body on the news. In that moment, I was like, ‘What if we don’t find him?’”
However, Jane quickly adds, “Yes, it can be tough, but our life as a family is also wonderful. Our house is a very loud, funny, messy, chaotic place that’s full of a lot of love and laughter.”
Being apart from her children will be the hardest part of Treasure Island, says Jane.
“I’ve been away from them for five days before, but this is different because
I can’t contact them or even check in. We’ve had some challenges lately and it’s hard to be away, but they’ve each given me a little toy to remind me of them.”
Having “battled severe bouts of anxiety and depression” in the past, Jane notes that there’s a chance she could struggle with her mental health during filming, adding, “I’ve already had some flutters of anxiety.”
But she says, “These days, I’m really proactive about seeing the signs, reaching out to people and making sure things don’t go too far these days. I’ve already spoken to my GP and the production counsellor. I think I’ll be OK. Watch this space!”