Carmel Sepuloni
Encyclopedia
Carmel Sepuloni was a New Zealand Labour Party
member of the New Zealand Parliament, and New Zealand's first MP of Tongan descent. She has been a Member of Parliament since 2008 and was Labour's candidate for Waitakere
in the 2011 General Election
where she attained a Diploma Teaching (Primary), and a Bachelor of Education respectively. She also holds a Graduate Diploma. Her father was a Samoan
-Tongan migrant freezing worker and 'staunch unionist
' and her mother was a Pākehā
from a conservative family. She has one son.
Before entering politics, Sepuloni was a teacher, with teaching experience in Samoa and with Auckland Youth in alternative education programmes; an equity manager; and a research project manager in Pacific health at the University of Auckland.
as a list MP for Labour. She was ranked 35 on the party's list and did not stand in any electorate. The promotion of Sepuloni and others was cited by the New Zealand Herald as an effort by the Labour Party to 'inject new faces' and increase the party's ethnic diversity.
After the election she became Labour's spokesperson for civil defence
, and associate spokesperson for tertiary education
and social development. She had been involved in the party for only a year and a half before being elected.
In her maiden speech
, Sepuloni said "I've learned through my own experiences and the experiences of others around me, that our young in particular can quickly begin to self-stigmatise when the media and society stigmatise them. When the media only portrays a picture of a ghettoised, poverty-stricken group of trouble makers, then our youth can resign themselves to the fact that this is what they are. They may even take pride in this prescribed image, because it provides them with a level of attention and status which although negative, is attention and status nonetheless."
On the 19th March, 2010 Sepuloni was selected as the Labour candidate for the 2011 Waitakere electorate, running against National’s Waitakere MP Paula Bennett who holds ministerial portfolios for social development, employment and youth affairs.
In June 2010, her Employment Relations (Probationary Period Repeal) Amendment Bill was drawn from the member's ballot. It was defeated at its first reading.
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
member of the New Zealand Parliament, and New Zealand's first MP of Tongan descent. She has been a Member of Parliament since 2008 and was Labour's candidate for Waitakere
Waitakere (New Zealand electorate)
Waitakere is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Waitakere is Paula Bennett of the National Party. She has held this position since the 2008 election....
in the 2011 General Election
New Zealand general election, 2011
The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party...
Early years
Carmel was born, raised and schooled in Waitara, Taranaki. She moved to Auckland in 1996 to attend the Auckland College of Education and University of AucklandUniversity of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
where she attained a Diploma Teaching (Primary), and a Bachelor of Education respectively. She also holds a Graduate Diploma. Her father was a Samoan
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
-Tongan migrant freezing worker and 'staunch unionist
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
' and her mother was a Pākehā
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
from a conservative family. She has one son.
Before entering politics, Sepuloni was a teacher, with teaching experience in Samoa and with Auckland Youth in alternative education programmes; an equity manager; and a research project manager in Pacific health at the University of Auckland.
Member of Parliament
Sepuloni came to parliament in the 2008 general electionNew Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
as a list MP for Labour. She was ranked 35 on the party's list and did not stand in any electorate. The promotion of Sepuloni and others was cited by the New Zealand Herald as an effort by the Labour Party to 'inject new faces' and increase the party's ethnic diversity.
After the election she became Labour's spokesperson for civil defence
Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is New Zealand's central government agency responsible for emergency management.- External links :* The Ministry's website: http://www.civildefence.govt.nz...
, and associate spokesperson for tertiary education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
and social development. She had been involved in the party for only a year and a half before being elected.
In her maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
, Sepuloni said "I've learned through my own experiences and the experiences of others around me, that our young in particular can quickly begin to self-stigmatise when the media and society stigmatise them. When the media only portrays a picture of a ghettoised, poverty-stricken group of trouble makers, then our youth can resign themselves to the fact that this is what they are. They may even take pride in this prescribed image, because it provides them with a level of attention and status which although negative, is attention and status nonetheless."
On the 19th March, 2010 Sepuloni was selected as the Labour candidate for the 2011 Waitakere electorate, running against National’s Waitakere MP Paula Bennett who holds ministerial portfolios for social development, employment and youth affairs.
In June 2010, her Employment Relations (Probationary Period Repeal) Amendment Bill was drawn from the member's ballot. It was defeated at its first reading.