It's also well removed from her home life that can be at times as taxing as her budding political career with her children, who range in age from 3 to 26, and seven of them still living at home.
She relies on her husband Ben Fox, a shearer, the older children and her mum, Frances Reiri-Smith, who lives nearby to help keep things running smoothly.
"It takes a lot to keep all the balls in the air and every now and then you're going to drop a few," she said.
"While I'm working my butt off to make sure things are happening there's a big machine at home making sure those things are happening because no worldly success can compensate for failure in the home."
She grew up in Christchurch but spent holidays working in Wairarapa shearing sheds pressing and rousing from a young age and didn't become a fluent Maori speaker until she was an adult - something she credits Kohanga Reo for.
"It wasn't just a generation of children that learned the reo, there were a generation of mothers alongside them that learned it too," she said.
Her time there led to roles with Wharekura and Kura Kaupapa Maori and eventually as a teacher at decile 10 Onslow College before she started work with the Ministry of Education in 2011.
Of Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Ngati Porou descent, she admitted to being "emotionally conflicted" having run third in the Ikaroa Rawhiti contest but still being a good chance to enter Parliament off the list.
"The party confirmed my position on the list as number two and that was a surprise to me ... but I'm absolutely conflicted emotionally that I am able to rise on the demise of others.
"Chris McKenzie [Te Tai Hauauru candidate] is an absolute talent, who has been pivotal to the Maori party."
The party's stocks have dwindled since 2008 when they held five of the Maori electorates, to three in 2011 - to its leader Te Ururoa Flavell winning its only seat in Waiariki last Saturday.
She says the Maori Party has made gains through policy and budget wins through its relationship accord with National but its membership and party vote declined as a result
This, she says, is due to perception and it's something the party has to change it by articulating their message more clearly - and being more vocal about their achievements.
"We talk about what we have done, things like Kickstart breakfasts, Whanau Ora, Warm Up New Zealand, how we've secured funding for cleaning up rivers, and how we ensured section 9 of the act that allows them to sell assets stayed in there ... but people don't see that."
In all likelihood she will become the party's co-leader alongside Mr Flavell but she believes that won't happen by default.
"There will be some discussions about it. We may even look at having a co-leader from outside of government ... but if I was invited to that co-leader position then I would relish that."
