The Labour Party Conference came up with a policy that they should work towards a 50% representation for females in their caucus. This in itself is a good move and one that they are very close to achieving already, but is it really necessary? I wonder if they actually need that extra push to achieve these figures and when I read the article in the NZ Herald today that suggests that Mallard and Goff may be pressured to resign, I felt that things have gone a but topsy-turvy. Most people, even some of Phil Goff’s political’ enemies would say that he is a strong force in Parliament and that he has contributed a great deal over the years. He is not a worn out piece of furniture, like some of his colleagues, in more than one party; indeed his knowledge in many areas far surpasses that of those who would replace him. If he is to be pushed aside, merely to achieve some sort of quota, then New Zealand and the Labour Party will be the losers. We need Phil’s knowledge and he would serve Parliament and NZ well in any Labour/Green alliance next year. He ain’t broken and he is still ‘running well,’ so stop the talk of trading him in on a shiny new unproven model. The latter will get their chances!
