{{short description|New Zealand politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Denise Roche | honorific_suffix = | image = Denise Roche (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Roche in 2007 | constituency_MP = Green party list | parliament = New Zealand | term_start = {{start date|2011|11|26|df=yes}} | term_end = 23 September 2017 | predecessor = | successor = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|07|9|df=yes}} | birth_place = Helensville, New Zealand | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | birth_name = | party = Green <!--(1990 – present)--> | other_party = City Vision (municipal) | spouse = | partner = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = | blank1 = | data1 = | blank2 = | data2 = | blank3 = | data3 = | blank4 = | data4 = | blank5 = | data5 = }} '''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.
==Early life== Roche was born in 1963 in Helensville, the eighth child of nine and the youngest daughter in her family.<ref name="scooproche" /><ref name="Roche bio on Green website">{{cite web|title=Denise Roche|url=http://www.greens.org.nz/candidates/denise-roche|publisher=Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand|accessdate=3 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531225540/http://www.greens.org.nz/candidates/denise-roche|archive-date=31 May 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Roche is of Ngāti Huri and Scottish descent.<ref name="scooproche">{{cite web |title=Denise Roche - maiden speech {{!}} Scoop News |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1202/S00174/denise-roche-maiden-speech.htm |website=www.scoop.co.nz |access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref> Roche left high school early with no qualification, returning later in her life to complete her studies as an adult.<ref name="scooproche" /> 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.<ref name="Roche bio on Green website" />
<!--Roche was an announcer on Beach Radio featuring every Saturday morning on a slot named Talking Rubbish, sharing news, ideas and opinions on waste management. She was also one of the hosts of the Beach Radio show Island Life, profiling local people, events and issues.<ref name="Waihekepedia">{{cite web |title=Denise Roche |url= http://www.waihekepedia.org/Denise_Roche |publisher =Waihekepedia |accessdate=26 November 2011}}{{rs|date=November 2011}}</ref> Note:needs a source meeting Wikipedia's standards. Waihekepedia is not suitable because it's a wiki. I can find sources for "Talking Rubbish" but they don't name the announcer, and I can't find a source for her hosting "Island Life" although she's been interviewed by them a number of times. --> She had previously worked for the Waste Resource Trust, promoting responsible waste disposal and recycling on Waiheke Island.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wasteminz.org.nz/conference/conferencepapers2005/Denise%20Roche%20pdf.pdf|title=The Waste Resource Trust on Waiheke – Exploring the effects of public attitudes on waste minimisatiion|first=Denise|last=Roche|date=3 November 2005|accessdate=15 December 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426051804/http://www.wasteminz.org.nz/conference/conferencepapers2005/Denise%20Roche%20pdf.pdf|archive-date=26 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Political career== {{NZ parlbox header|align=left}} {{NZ parlbox |term = 50th |start = {{NZ election link year|2011}} |end = 2014 |electorate = List |party = Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand |list = 11 }} {{NZ parlbox |term = 51st |start = {{NZ election link year|2014}} |end = 2017 |electorate = List |party = Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand |list = 13 }} {{End}} She was the Auckland City Councillor for the Hauraki Gulf Islands from 2007 to 2010.<ref name="Auckland Council - Waiheke Local Board profile">{{cite web|title=Denise Roche|url= http://www.elections2010.co.nz/2010/candidates/denise-roche |publisher=Elections New Zealand|accessdate=9 November 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/elections/results2007.asp |title=Final official election results 2007 |publisher=Auckland City Council |year=2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418015608/http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/members/elections/results2007.asp |archivedate=18 April 2010 }}</ref>
In the 2010 Auckland local election for the Waiheke Local Board, she received the highest number of votes.<ref name="Auckland Council - Waiheke Local Board profile" />
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.<ref name="2008 Auckland Central">{{cite web|title=Official Count Results -- Auckland Central |url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2008/electorate-1.html |publisher=Chief Electoral Office|accessdate=13 December 2011}}</ref>
Placed in eleventh place on the Green Party list for the {{NZ election link|2011}},<ref name="Green Party list">{{cite web |title=2011 election candidates |url=http://www.greens.org.nz/people/candidates |publisher=Green Party |accessdate=26 November 2011 |archive-date=26 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626070926/https://www.greens.org.nz/people/candidates |url-status=dead }}</ref> Roche was elected to Parliament, with the Greens gaining 14 positions based on the final results.<ref name="2011 election night commentary">{{cite news|last=Trevett|first=Claire|title=National soars as Labour put to the sword|url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10769072 |accessdate=26 November 2011 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=27 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Interview with New Green MP Denise Roche |url= http://www.waihekeradio.org.nz/node/1607 |accessdate=13 December 2011|work=Waiheke Radio|date=27 November 2011}}</ref><ref name="2011 successful candidates">{{cite web|title=Official Count Results -- Successful Candidates |url= http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2011/successfulcand.html |publisher=New Zealand Electoral Commission|accessdate=13 December 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayden |first1=Leonie |title=Eight incredible moments from the new series of Matangireia |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/23-06-2021/eight-incredible-moments-from-the-new-series-of-matangireia/ |website=The Spinoff |access-date=6 September 2021 |date=23 June 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shen |first1=Aviva |title=New Zealand MPs Kicked Out Of Parliament For Revealing Their Sexual Assault |url=https://archive.thinkprogress.org/new-zealand-mps-kicked-out-of-parliament-for-revealing-their-sexual-assault-90b7fb1e2be6/ |access-date=6 September 2021 |agency=ThinkProgress}}</ref> Roche was number 13 on the Green party list for the 2017 general election, and was not re-elected as an MP.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/96837847/Green-MP-Denise-Roche-looking-for-a-new-way-to-change-the-world |title=Green MP Denise Roche looking for a new way to change the world |first=Rose |last=Davis |work=Auckland Now |publisher=Fairfax New Zealand |date=26 September 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205184352/https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/96837847/Green-MP-Denise-Roche-looking-for-a-new-way-to-change-the-world |archivedate=5 February 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Following the general election Roche ran as the City Vision candidate for the Waitematā Local Board vacancy created by the resignation of Mark Davey.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/98936455/contenders-emerge-to-replace-auckland-councillor-and-waitamat-local-board-member |title=Contenders emerge to replace Auckland councillor and Waitamatā Local Board member |first=James |last=Pasley |work=Central Leader |publisher=Fairfax New Zealand |date=21 November 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205131550/https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/98936455/contenders-emerge-to-replace-auckland-councillor-and-waitamat-local-board-member |archivedate=5 February 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> She was successful, winning the seat by 249 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11998251 |accessdate=20 February 2018|title=New Auckland Council representatives elected |date=February 2018 |work=The New Zealand Herald }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.greens.org.nz/ourpeople/denise-roche-mp Profile at Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411011049/https://www.greens.org.nz/ourpeople/denise-roche-mp |date=11 April 2017 }} *[https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/roche-denise Profile at New Zealand Parliament website]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{NZ Green Party}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roche, Denise}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Women members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Category:Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand MPs Category:New Zealand list MPs Category:Auckland City Councillors Category:People from Waiheke Island Category:Candidates in the 2011 New Zealand general election Category:Candidates in the 2014 New Zealand general election Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 2008 New Zealand general election Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Category:21st-century New Zealand women politicians Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 2017 New Zealand general election Category:People from Helensville Category:Māori MPs Category:Ngāti Raukawa people