How well do we really know our politicians and the personal values and experiences they bring to decisions that affect us all?
Newshub Nation's Backstory series goes behind the scenes into our political leaders' lives and childhood photo albums.
Labour's Helen White went from small-town New Zealand to a city legal career - and is now in Parliament.
Newshub Nation joined her at home in Sandringham, Auckland to hear her Backstory.
She spent most of her childhood in Freemans Bay, Auckland, which she described at the time as "hoppin' and boppin'".
"My mother was really dynamic so she was the chair of the school and I'm really proud of some of the things she did," she said.
White described her mother as a "really remarkable woman who grew up with a lot of pain".
"Her father had quite severe mental illness and I suspect quite a bit of damage was done."
Despite this, White said her mother "was a person that was incredibly optimistic and that kind of openness was true about both my parents".
White's mother now has dementia but retains her positive spirit.
"She's still actually a really warm person and it's really lucky that I've kept that part of her even though her short-term memory really isn't great."
White said her mother's dementia has been particularly tough on her father.
"They are still living in their own house because that's what they want, but it is a constant worry."
White has had three children of her own but admits it was very tough raising them at times.
She said when she had her first child, Max, she and her partner "had no money".
White recalls "bringing this child home, I'd been in intensive care".
"My husband borrowed $500 from his dad."
Later on, while renovating their home, White realised the room Max had been staying in had damp carpeting underneath.
"He had had pneumonia and we had had him in a room which was actually like physically wet," White said.
"I can't believe I did that, but I did do it, and it was just like that was the way it was.
"We didn't have the money and we didn't know better.
"I felt at that time when I had little kids that I was failing at everything and that was a really hard time," she said.
Watch Helen White's full Backstory above for more.
Watch Newshub Nation 9:30am Saturday/10am Sunday on Three & Three Now, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
