Ladies
I enjoyed Hillary Clinton’s attempt to make a joke about Helen Clark. Presumably her comment was premeditated and her motive for even bothering to name Helen Clark was to highlight that other countries had female political leaders. I guess at least that is one thing we in New Zealand don’t seem to need to contest with as much as we used to. Although I see over at the United Future Blog that one commenter on the issue of Girl Power, correctly notes most parties still have some way to go on the issue of gender equity:
United Future seems to stand alone as the only NZ political party not only with real “equality” with both it’s men & women representatives; whether it be a lady President, lady Deputy or a lady as a past CEO & present Board member, all with significant or dual educational qualifications in the specifics of law, politics, education and people skills (these are “all successful mums” with massive life experience between them!) but United Future has some things else!
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:51 am
What on earth is wrong with a “best person” policy?, I do not care if they are male or female.
If you continue to insist in gender equity you are always going to settle for second best.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
Unfortunately ‘not in possesion of functioning ovaries or a high pitch voice’ is part of many people’s definition of best person.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:27 am
BB, do you really think the all-male Muldoon cabinets, containing intellectual giants such as Merv Wellington, Colin McLachlan, the drunken Minister of Transport Keith Allen, and Deputy PM Duncan McIntyre who was found by the Marginal Lands Board Commision of Inquiry to have acted “extremely unwisely” were each the “best person” for the job while the likes of Marilyn Waring and Ruth Richardson languished on the backbenches?
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:39 am
Enforced gender equality might have changed things there toad, but what if you have a bunch of smart men in cabinet and stupid women sitting on the backbenches? Or smart men/stupid women smart women/stupid men on a party list…
Though I believe the Greens don’t enforce gender equality anywhere but with the co-leaders…
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:39 am
Or is the Muldoon-era example just highlighting how sexist they possibly were and how things have changed?
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
Toad
How on earth is that relevant?, we are talking about today not some time in the distant past.
Or are you suggesting that we should have inferior cabinets made up of females just to balance out the mistakes of the past?.
While we are on the subject of drunks, would you be so harsh on Ruth Dyson?, I think not.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:43 am
Eh? When did we start on drunks?
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 am
Ask Toad
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:10 am
Whoops I see. I would’ve gone straight for Muldoon if I saw those names, but I don’t go back as far as Toad evidently
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:46 am
BB said: “…would you be so harsh on Ruth Dyson?, I think not”.
Keith Allen was a classic habitual drunk. Found pissed and passed out in the grounds of parliament while attempting to walk to his flat. Claimed he had been attacked. Muldoon (of course not noted for his sobriety himself)backed him. It was jocularly reported (I think by Tom Scott) that his attackers had been identified as Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker and Jim Beam. He was later filmed by TVNZ drunkenly staggering around the grounds of Parliament after another late night session.
As far as I know, although she was convicted of drunk driving, Ruth Dyson is not an habitual drunk.
Now, Judith Tizard, though… we might have a better comparison there BB. And why she’s a Minister is beyond my comprehension.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:53 am
Toad
“And why she’s a Minister is beyond my comprehension”
We BOTH know why she is a minister……
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:12 am
Speaking of drinking, this from John Key in the Timaru Courier:
Timaru Courier: Do you enjoy a drink?
John Key: Absolutely. I wouldn’t desribe myself as an excessively heavy drinker, but obviously I drink for enjoyment. I like wine and I like beer if it’s a hot day, but I don’t tend to drink spirits.
Not an excessively heavy drinker then, John? Maybe just a reasonably heavy drinker.
Actually, I think it’s a refreshing attitude re alcohol from a politician, instead of the posturing and hypocricy we usually get. As long as it doesn’t impair his ability to do his job, or compromise public safety, it’s nobody else’s business.
Wonder if he has a similar approach to cannabis?
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 am
BB said: We BOTH know why she is a minister……
Is it because she is “competent and hardworking” BB? That’s Helen’s standard answer when asked if she has confidence in particular Ministers, but I can’t see it as a very credible one here?
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:21 am
I think most people would answer like that, it’s just that no one asks. It’s just about as important as questions of whether one has been to a strip-club (see a few months ago)
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 am
Toad
Ha ha…very true, however the MSM in NZ never seem to question her that closely.
I know you will not be keen but you should have a read of Wisharts latest book, it is most enlightening.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
No doubt Judith brings her special something to the job….
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Back to Colim McLachlan for a minute - he was Keith Allen’s predecessor as Muldoon’s Transport Minister. His nickname was “Oars”.
He acquired the nickname after a rescue craft attempting to reach a plane crash in the harbour off Auckland airport had engine failure. McLachlan’s famous reply when questioned about this: “Well, they had oars, didn’t they?”
Don’t think even Tizard or Parekura Horomia of “There are a host of reasons why students and pupils don’t have breakfast - they’re trying to stay trim…” notoriety have ever said anything quite as stupid as “Oars” McLachlan.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I must admit that I have a thing for nicknames when they have a funny or witty meaning, my favorite all time nickname is the one given to the rugby player Caleb Ralph, apparently he goes by then name of “Mangrove”
The rest you can work out for yourself