Denise Roche

Denise Maree Roche (born 9 July 1963) is a New Zealand politician. She was a member of the Waiheke Local Board and the New Zealand House of Representatives, where she represented the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2011 to 2017.

Denise Roche
Denise Roche in 2007
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Green party list
In office
26 November 2011 (2011-11-26) – 23 September 2017
Personal details
Born (1963-07-09) 9 July 1963
Helensville, New Zealand
Political partyGreen
Other political
affiliations		City Vision (municipal)

Early life

Roche was born in 1963 in Helensville, the eighth child of nine and the youngest daughter in her family.[1][2] Roche is of Ngāti Huri and Scottish descent.[1] Roche left high school early with no qualification, returning later in her life to complete her studies as an adult.[1] She has an extensive background in union-related work and in 2000 completed a diploma in labour studies. In 2007 she completed a graduate diploma in not-for-profit management.

Roche and her partner John Stansfield moved to Waiheke in 1997, partners in Orapiu Grove Farm. From 2004 to 2010, she was on the board of trustees for Te Huruhi School.[2]

She had previously worked for the Waste Resource Trust, promoting responsible waste disposal and recycling on Waiheke Island.[3]

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2011–2014 50th List 11 Green
2014–2017 51st List 13 Green

She was the Auckland City Councillor for the Hauraki Gulf Islands from 2007 to 2010.[4] She won in the 2007 Auckland local body election by a very narrow margin over long-standing incumbent, Faye Storer, by only eleven votes with a high-profile campaign.[5]

In the 2010 Auckland local election for the Waiheke Local Board, she received the highest number of votes.[4]

She was the candidate of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand for Auckland Central in the 2008 general election. The Auckland Central electorate includes the whole of Waiheke Island. She received 13% of votes cast in the electorate and was not elected.[6]

Placed in eleventh place on the Green Party list for the 2011 election,[7] Roche was elected to Parliament, with the Greens gaining 14 positions based on the final results.[8][9][10] As a member of parliament, Roche openly admitted to being a survivor of sexual abuse. Following John Key's statement that Labour was supporting "rapists" detained on Christmas Island, Roche, as a participant along with several other women MPs who were similarly victims, staged a walkout of Parliament in protest.[11] Roche stated in parliament that she had "endured years of sexual assault as a child", stating she was personally offended that the Prime Minister implied that she would personally support rapists.[12] Roche was number 13 on the Green party list for the 2017 general election, and was not re-elected as an MP.[13]

Following the general election Roche ran as the City Vision candidate for the Waitematā Local Board vacancy created by the resignation of Mark Davey.[14] She was successful, winning the seat by 249 votes.[15]

References
  1. "Denise Roche - maiden speech | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  2. "Denise Roche". Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  3. Roche, Denise (3 November 2005). "The Waste Resource Trust on Waiheke – Exploring the effects of public attitudes on waste minimisatiion" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2005.
  4. "Denise Roche". Elections New Zealand. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  5. "Final official election results 2007". Auckland City Council. 2007. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010.
  6. "Official Count Results -- Auckland Central". Chief Electoral Office. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  7. "2011 election candidates". Green Party. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  8. Trevett, Claire (27 November 2011). "National soars as Labour put to the sword". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  9. "Interview with New Green MP Denise Roche". Waiheke Radio. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  10. "Official Count Results -- Successful Candidates". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  11. Hayden, Leonie (23 June 2021). "Eight incredible moments from the new series of Matangireia". The Spinoff. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  12. Shen, Aviva. "New Zealand MPs Kicked Out Of Parliament For Revealing Their Sexual Assault". ThinkProgress. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  13. Davis, Rose (26 September 2017). "Green MP Denise Roche looking for a new way to change the world". Auckland Now. Fairfax New Zealand. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018.
  14. Pasley, James (21 November 2017). "Contenders emerge to replace Auckland councillor and Waitamatā Local Board member". Central Leader. Fairfax New Zealand. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018.
  15. "New Auckland Council representatives elected". The New Zealand Herald. February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
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