Deborah Mahuta-Coyle is the Labour Party candidate standing in the Tauranga electorate in November's general election.
'Deborah is a strong and talented young woman who will run a high energy campaign in Tauranga,” says Labour Party President Moira Coatsworth.
'Deborah is a dynamic, skilled, hardworking candidate who will do her best to represent Labour in the Tauranga electorate and if given the chance, will strongly represent Tauranga as their MP after the general election.”
Deborah grew up in Huntly where her mother raised her and two siblings alone.
'We did it pretty tough in the ‘90s,” says Deborah.
'Mum was bringing up three kids on a benefit in a state house.
'A lot of those experiences are behind why I decided to get involved in politics.
'I see families now, in 2011, struggling to put food on the table and pay bills just like my family and I did nearly two decades ago – that's not good enough.
'The cost of living has risen faster than at any time in the past 21 years and wages haven't kept up. There's a huge increase in unemployment compared with three years ago.”
She also intends campaigning hard against the sale of state assets by highlighting the affect the policy will have on electricity bills.
Labour has policies that will make a huge difference to the lives of many hardworking Kiwis in Tauranga, says Deborah.
She says taking GST off fresh fruit and veges, increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and making the first $5000 you earn a year tax free will help families combat the rising cost of living.
11 comments
Posted on 30-08-2011 13:09 | By friendee
are europeans allowed to vote in this electorate?
Benefit Advocate?
Posted on 30-08-2011 13:21 | By Honedaman
If she thinks that living in a state house and bringing up three kids on a benefit should be the norm she won't be getting my vote!
eeuuch!
Posted on 30-08-2011 14:01 | By The Tomahawk Kid
Who fancies a bit of whats going on in England recently? Vote for this immoral, thieving, unprincipled outfit and you are sure to get it a lot faster. Learn the meaning of the words "rights" and Property Rights" girl before you go imposing your thieving feel-good policies on those who are prepared to actually WORK for a living and live withing their means instead of demanding the un-earned wages of other peoples hard work and toil. This communist-lite party makes me puke with their immoral policies. Generations of the child-molesters of the mind have served us with this kind of PC feelgood garbage. - eeeuuch
Blatently Labour expect to lose Tauranga
Posted on 30-08-2011 14:44 | By wreck1080
Why can't labour find a local person to represent them? Removing GST from food will cause a shortfall in government revenue...Will labour cut hospital services to finance the GST removal? Incidentally removing gst from some food will cause the gst exclusive food price to increase, because the costs of upgrading and maintaining IT systems will cause a decline in operational efficiency.
So where's the money coming from?
Posted on 30-08-2011 15:16 | By Inconvenient Truth
If families are still struggling the same as they did 2 decades ago, then can't Labour see that it's because of subsidise and suffer policies over that time. Big emphasis on responsibility, hard work and consequences for your actions is the way to go. National has made a start on this. I think Labour would just turn the clock back.
Awesome news!
Posted on 30-08-2011 15:52 | By RobtDavies
Elections are about a contest of ideas. This election's particularly important, and the choices are clear. Whatever else people say, with Labour we own our future and keep our assets. As a Labour supporter, I'm stoked we have a candidate with plenty to offer, and someone who'll ably challenge the status quo.
Promises Promises
Posted on 30-08-2011 17:22 | By Thoughtful
Easy to campaign hard and offer the world when the stark reality is that there is realistically limited chance of being in a position following the elections to be able to follow through on the pronises. Disappointing that they felt the need to go outside the area to find a candidate and a slap in the face for Tauranga hopefuls.
RobtDavies is wrong
Posted on 30-08-2011 17:43 | By The Tomahawk Kid
RobtDavies is incorrect! Elections are an advance AUCTION of other peoples Property and rights. Putting them up for grabs via a vote. ie All people who dont have as much as others hands up for getting a share of what other people EARN! Unprincipled, immoral and sickening that people think they have a right to the product of other peoples industry and hard work. The British are suffering under this insidious system as we speak - a people like RobtDavies want us to suffer from the same disease
Labour don't even know where Tauranga is!
Posted on 30-08-2011 17:58 | By Steve Morris
According to labour's press release on their candidate they state that: "Although not originally from Tauranga, Deborah grew up further along State Highway 1 in the small town of Huntly." Trouble being that SH1 is no where near Tauranga! If Phil Goff's office can't figure out where Tauranga is how can they claim to be able to represent this community, let alone run a country?
Congratulations Deborah!
Posted on 30-08-2011 21:26 | By Karlene
Firstly, I would like to congratulate Deborah, she has obviously accomplished a lot since her difficult formative years. Secondly, I feel I have to mention I am dismayed at the reactions this article has provoked. @Honedaman - Why do you assume the article is insinuating that state house living and being on a benefit is the norm? @The Tomahawk Kid - Why do you assume, from this article, that the Labour Party is "immoral, thieving and unprincipled" ? It's announcing a candidate! @Steve Morris - "...Deborah grew up further along SH1 in the small town of Huntly..." Technically speaking, it is not an incorrect statement - Huntly IS further along SH1. Are you seriously going to argue the semantics of a press release? Perhaps they didn't feel the necessity to add Takitimu Drive, SH2 and SH29 to the list of highways in between Tauranga and Huntly? AND FINALLY, @RobtDavies - The ONE person to say anything positive about this announcement, thankyou! For the rest of you, have you been single parents? On a benefit? Struggled financially with small children and minimal support? Some families don't have a lot of choice, due to multitudes of varying circumstances. And unfortunately, the bigotry exhibited due to a candidate announcement indicates a far worse situation in Tauranga than where our new Labour Candidate may have originated from.
She could come from the moon for all I care
Posted on 31-08-2011 13:06 | By The Tomahawk Kid
@Karlen: I have been a solo parent bringing up 2 boys WITHOUT a benefit! That you do not care to understand how the Labour Party (and Labour-Lite - ie the national Party) are immoral shows what a good job the child molesters of the mind (government-run monopolised education system) have done in brainwashing the population. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is immoral. Putting peoples property, money and rights up for the vote by the biggest gang is IMMORAL. RobtDavies so called POSITIVE words only say that with Labour we have a say in OTHER PEOPLES future (and property. This article is introducing a candidate who stands for the theft and redistribution of other peoples property to those who can show a NEED (or WANT) for it. She could come from the moon for all I care - it is the thoughts in her head and her and her parties interference in the life of myself and my family that I do not care for
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