Labour Party completes first formal selection for the 2014 general election

In the party’s first selection meeting for the 2014 General Election, Labour has endorsed Dr Deborah Russell as the candidate for Rangitikei.

Deborah Russell is a tax expert and left wing columnist, well known in New Zealand social media. She was born in Taranaki and currently lives in Manawatu with her husband and three daughters.

“I’m delighted to be chosen to run for Labour in Rangitikei,” said Dr Russell.

“Rural people have major issues about access to basic services and the infrastructure needed to be a part of New Zealand society. Labour is the party best placed to deliver on this.”

Dr Russell said that the current government tended to forget about some New Zealanders. “Whether you’re a farmer in Taihape, or a mum at home with children in Marton, or a teenager on the streets, you should be able to get decent healthcare, decent housing and decent education.”

She said that the current government was all about big business, and that ordinary people weren’t getting a fair go.

Dr Russell started her career as an accountant working for Deloitte and Treasury. She subsequently completed a PhD in Philosophy at the Australian National University. She went on to be a senior tax policy analyst for the IRD, and is now a senior lecturer in taxation at Massey University. Russell chairs the Labour Party Economic Policy Committee.

In her youth, she was captain of the New Zealand Universities Debating Team.

ENDS

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