Jacinda Ardern Glbti-friendly Labour MP Jacinda Ardern has been swiftly promoted to the front bench under the party's new leadership team, while lesbian MP Louisa Wall has been given fresh responsibility. Ardern, who narrowly lost the Auckland Central electorate to National's Nikki Kaye in the General Election, has been elevated to fourth place on the party list and handed the Social Development portfolio. Lesbian MP Maryan Street is ranked 9th and will be Associate Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, with the portfolio being returned to former leader Phil Goff. Street also has the Health portfolio, along with Disarmament and Arms Control. Gay MP Charles Chauvel is ranked 13th and has Justice and Arts, Culture and Heritage, while he is also the shadow attorney general. Lesbian MP and former double sporting international Louisa Wall is outside the shadow Cabinet of 20 MPs, and has been given Sport and Recreation, while she will also be the party's spokeswoman for the Community and Voluntary Sector. Labour leader Davis Shearer, who has an openly-gay Deputy in Grant Robertson, says the new leadership team is about bringing forward new faces. “We are going to change our tone and we are going to take a fresh look at our priorities," he says. "I am very proud of the team who will lead the change and help lead Labour into the future." Shearer confirmed over the weekend he is in favour of same-sex marriage and updating adoption laws.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 19th December 2011 - 5:07pm