Grant Robertson The head of the nation's glbti support organisation says the ascendance of gay MP Grant Robertson to deputy leadership in the Labour Party shows just how grown up our society has become. The Wellington Central MP has been voted as the second-in-command under new leader David Shearer, with former leadership duo Phil Goff and Annette King stepping down from the positions after the heavy election defeat. "Having Grant Robertson placed so highly in the Labour Party is great achievement for him," says OUTLineNZ General Manager Vaughan Meneses. "He is a skilled, talented and well respected individual who happens to be gay, and it is a positive sign of just how grown up we have become as a society," he says. "It is fantastic that as a country we can celebrate the success of a person for their abilities and what they contribute to the community, rather than just seeing and evaluating them on one aspect of their being." Meneses says it's a great day for Robertson personally and he deserves congratulations. "But let's not forget that although he is the highest ranked in any political party we have a team of seven out rainbow people in Parliament and that equates to 6.5 per cent of the parliamentary stable," he adds. "As a community we need to support all of them as leaders to make sure that they use their talents and abilities to make change where change is needed, no matter what side of the house they are on. "It is also great to see that Chris Finlayson remains the Attorney General in the National lead government and that Kevin Hague is still number three in a much stronger Green party. In time I hope to see some of our rainbow sisters breaking through the ceiling and taking greater positions of strength in their respective parties."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 13th December 2011 - 6:34pm