I’m proud to be Kelston’s voice in Parliament, delivering for our Kelston community and West Auckland.

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I’m a mother, wife, daughter of a migrant, and the proud Labour MP for Kelston. In the 53rd Labour Government, I served as the Minister for Social Development and Employment, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Minister for Auckland, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region). I also served as the 20th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, the first Pacific and third female in the role. I previously also held the portfolios of ACC, Disability Issues and Associate Pacific Peoples.

I’m proud to be Kelston’s voice in Parliament, delivering for our Kelston community and West Auckland.

Born in Waitara, Carmel is of Samoan, Tongan and New Zealand European descent.

Carmel entered Parliament in 2008, having worked in the tertiary sector as a literacy educator, a student mentor adviser, an equity manager, and a Pacific health research project manager.

A brief break away from Parliament in 2011-2014 saw Carmel become Chief Executive of Vaka Tautua, a national ‘by Pacific, for Pacific’, health, disability and social services provider.

Carmel is committed to transforming the welfare system so that it’s fairer and treats people with dignity, and providing opportunities for people to get ahead in life – including better opportunities to get into meaningful and sustainable employment. She’s also committed to building a sustainable, diverse, inclusive and resilient arts and culture sector, and strengthening Aotearoa New Zealand’s ties with the Pacific region.

Latest news and updates:

• Still no certainty for disability communities – One year on from the Government’s abrupt and callous changes to disability funding, the community still has no idea what the future holds.
  
  
• Child poverty reduction must remain a priority – Children should not be living in poverty, and the latest statistics are hugely concerning. 
  
  
• More Kiwis are hungry, homeless and out of work – Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report.
  
  
• Govt benefit target even further out of reach – Christopher Luxon has once again failed to read the room and claimed success while life gets harder for everyday Kiwis.