Deborah Russell


Deborah Faye Russell is a New Zealand academic and politician. She is a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party.

Biography

Early life

Russell was born in Whangamomona, a small town in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

Academic career

Russell worked in the private sector as an accountant, and in the public sector as a policy analyst. She has lectured at universities in both Australia and New Zealand in taxation, ethics, business ethics, political theory and philosophy. She was a senior lecturer specialising in taxation at Massey University.

Political career

Russell stood in the central North Island electorate of at the, but was defeated by the incumbent, National's Ian McKelvie. Russell impressed the party leadership with her performance leading her to seek a safer seat to stand at the ensuing election.

Member of Parliament

In February 2017, Russell was selected as Labour's candidate for the Auckland electorate of for the, replacing former Labour Party leader David Cunliffe, who had, in the previous year, signalled his intention to retire from politics at the next election. Russell promised to change her residence to the electorate if she was selected, and she now lives there. Russell was ranked 30 on Labour's party list, up three places from 2014.
On 27 June 2019, Russell became Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee, replacing her previous role as Chair of the Environment Select Committee. Russell in November 2019 said she would like New Zealand to be "the most equal country in the world – full stop".

Coronavirus business remarks, April 2020

On 22 April 2020, Russell drew media attention and public criticism when she made remarks during a video conference with the Epidemic Response Committee suggesting that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand highlighted a structural weakness in the small business sector. Russell had said: Finance Minister Grant Robertson disagreed with her characterisation at the time, and ACT Party leader David Seymour subsequently suggested that these words were unsympathetic to small business. While many small business advisors and mentors agreed with Russell, she was criticised as being insensitive by left-wing commentator Chris Trotter, journalist Duncan Garner, and National Party MP Judith Collins.