Labour's battered leaders are stepping down, and gay MP Grant Robertson is among the contenders to take over at the top. The resignations of Phil Goff and his deputy Annette King follow the party's hammering in the Election. Their departures from the roles will come into effect on 13 December, while they will remain in Parliament. Now the question is who will take over, and a two-way battle between David Parker and David Cunliffe is emerging, a battle which is understood to have divided the party. While Robertson is being touted as a potential deputy to Parker, there is also talk amongst political commentators and journalists from across the media that he is also a contender for outright leadership. The New Zealand Herald's Claire Trevett writes: "Some are understood to be arguing Mr Robertson should stand as the leader on that ticket as a 'fresh face' with Mr Parker as his deputy. "However, he is relatively inexperienced and there are concerns about whether the middle-class New Zealand that Labour needs to win the support of was ready to accept an openly gay MP in such a position," she continues. Fairfax's Vernon Small says: "So what if Grant Robertson is gay? Is the public as prejudiced as all that? And after scoring the lowest popular vote in the party's history, isn't it time to embrace a few risks?" Since he entered Parliament in 2008, Robertson has been touted as potential leadership material, and is seen as being strong on policy and appealing to a new generation. He perhaps best described himself in his maiden statement to the House, with: "I am proud and comfortable with who I am. Being gay is part of who I am, just as is being a former diplomat, a fan of the mighty...Wellington Lions, and a fan of New Zealand music and New Zealand literature. "My political view is defined by my sexuality only inasmuch as it has given me an insight into how people can be marginalised and discriminated against, and how much I abhor that. I am lucky that I have largely grown up in a generation that is not fixated on issues such as sexual orientation. I am not - and neither should others be."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 29th November 2011 - 4:02pm