One was the former manager of Tauranga's Women's Refuge, and the other a former refugee who worked as a human rights lawyer.
However they've left their front line jobs behind for a career in parliament after the results of the special votes yesterday boosted Greens' Golriz Ghahraman and Labour's Angie Warren-Clark into parliament, booting National's Nicola Willis and Maureen Pugh out.
"I'm really privileged," Ms Warren-Clark said.
She said working for the Women's Refuge exposed her to issues like drug abuse and mental health.
"You learn the stories of the families and you carry it with you," she said on TVNZ1's Q+A this morning.
Her aim as an MP was to create cross-party opportunities to work on ridding communities of methamphetamine.
"It's part of a wider picture of poverty."
"It is something we need to get rid of. Absolutely."
As the wait continues to find out who NZ First will choose to form a government with, Ms Ghahraman said her party was "just focused on getting a stronger Green voice" in parliament.
For her and her party, an interest in immigration was about "investing in people".
"I realised having my story and my face in the New Zealand House of Representatives means a lot to different people. I've realised it means something to kiwis as well."
"I carry that with me."
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