Background
Bunkle was born in Sussex, England, and was educated at Keele University, England, receiving a Bachelor with First Class Honours. Smith College, Massachusetts, United States of America, receiving a Master of Arts. And Street Anne"s College, Oxford.
Education
She attended Harvard University, United States of America as a Kennedy Scholar and was the recipient of a Fulbright Award.
Career
She represented the Alliance in Parliament from 1996 to 2002, when she retired. Bunkle was for many years a lecturer at Victoria University. Bunkle was a lecturer for many years at Victoria University of Wellington and founded the Women"s Studies department.
Bunkle was an Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2002, representing the Alliance.
In the 1996 elections, she was elected to Parliament as a list Member of Parliament. When the Green Party left the Alliance, Bunkle opted not to follow them. After the 1999 elections, in which Bunkle was re-elected, she became a Minister outside of Cabinet in the new Labour-Alliance coalition government, serving as Minister of Customs and Minister of Consumer Affairs.
Bunkle took a strong anti-gambling stance, being patron of Compulsive Gambling Society Incorporated and introducing a Bill to restrict gambling. She resigned these roles after a controversy surrounding her claims for a residential allowance, although she was later cleared of any deliberate wrongdoing.
When the Alliance began to collapse in 2002, Bunkle sided with Jim Anderton"s faction, but decided not to seek re-election.
In 2003 Bunkle taught Women's Studies at a Chinese University. In Britain Bunkle went on to act as a research consultant publishing on public health and problem gambling. In 2009 she completed an Master of Science in Integrated Health from Westminster University and gained Diplomas in massage, reflexology, neuromuscular therapy, holistic cancer care and a professional qualification as a Health Creation coach.
Bunkle is currently a research student in history at King"s College London.
Membership
Bunkle joined the Green Party (a member of the Alliance) in 1992, and unsuccessfully stood as an Alliance candidate in the 1993 elections.