Go the Maori dyke politician!
Mar. 5th, 2008 08:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trixtahA new MP, Louisa Wall, has been sworn into NZ's Parliament today. She's under 40, female (obviously), Maori, and a lesbian. This brings the number of out queers in Parliament to 6, out of 120.
5% of the parliamentary population is getting in line with the proportion of queers in the wider community! There are 19 Maori, which is spot-on. A few more PI (3) and Asian MPs (2) wouldn't hurt - both of those ethnicities are about 5-7% of the population. However, the glaring lack is in women - the number needs to be increased by at least 50% (there are 39 at present), although I suppose that a third of Parliament being women (including the PM) isn't too shabby, really.
Of course, if you wander through the National Party's website, you'll see how dramatically those proportions will change if they get elected next time - two Maori MPs, total. There are a few more women (but not 30%). Of course, a rigid adherence to gender/race/sexuality balance in the governing body does not mean that body will do the right thing - but at least it looks like a House of Representatives.
5% of the parliamentary population is getting in line with the proportion of queers in the wider community! There are 19 Maori, which is spot-on. A few more PI (3) and Asian MPs (2) wouldn't hurt - both of those ethnicities are about 5-7% of the population. However, the glaring lack is in women - the number needs to be increased by at least 50% (there are 39 at present), although I suppose that a third of Parliament being women (including the PM) isn't too shabby, really.
Of course, if you wander through the National Party's website, you'll see how dramatically those proportions will change if they get elected next time - two Maori MPs, total. There are a few more women (but not 30%). Of course, a rigid adherence to gender/race/sexuality balance in the governing body does not mean that body will do the right thing - but at least it looks like a House of Representatives.
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Date: 2008-03-05 11:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-03-06 10:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-03-05 08:04 pm (UTC)(content, you wanted content?)
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Date: 2008-03-06 10:52 am (UTC)