Scoring Jacinda at political quiz night

When Jacinda Ardern MCed the Pt Chevalier school quiz last night, she expected locals to answer the questions, and answer them well.

That is interesting, because for the past week the new Labour leader’s speciality subject has been refusing to answer questions – and refusing well. She does it with a smile, with a laugh, with a promise to answer in due course, when she is well and ready …

Last night, the Pt Chev parents were awarded points for their best answers. For Ardern, we award points for her best refusals.

1Jesse Mulligan, The Project: A lot of women feel they have to make a choice between babies and a career … Is that a decision you feel you have to make?

As a refusal, this is outstanding. Ardern said she had no problem being asked the question because of the public office she was seeking, but stole the show by arguing that women should never be asked such a question in a job interview.

To ask the question in a job interview of anyone – man or woman – is about only one thing: discrimination.

New Zealand is now engaged in a healthy debate about this – failing to notice that Ardern still hadn’t answered the question she said she was happy to answer.

For the record, the Herald asked the question earlier this year. She does want children, she said, and that might be difficult to reconcile with being leader. ‘‘I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive, but I think they’re difficult. If we want Parliament to reflect New Zealand as a society, then we should be able to accommodate both.’’

That is a point echoed this week by Holly Walker, who had a baby while she was a Green MP. ‘‘I now believe there are many structural barriers that make it difficult for women to become mothers for the first time in Parliament,’’ she said. ‘‘Not asking questions like the one Jesse Mulligan asked Jacinda Ardern risks glossing over this inconvenient truth.’’

Ardern ducked the question without us even noticing, while highlighting a more important issue. Political points: 10

2James Pasley, Sunday StarTimes: Are you a socialist? ‘‘That’s not the word I would use to describe myself,’’ replied the former president of the International Union of Socialist Youth.

She went on to inundate voters with terms she preferred: ‘‘progressive’’, ‘‘pragmatic idealist’’, ‘‘left-wing’’, ‘‘democratic socialist’’ and ’’social democrat’’.

Of course, one might mischievously argue that in a country whose biggest food producer is the dairy co-operative Fonterra, we’ve already socialised the means of production.

But is she embarrassed by the political passion that once drove her? She argues ’’socialist’’ is not part of the New Zealand lexicon. Political points: 6.

3Lisa Owen, The Nation: Will you take it through to 2020 whatever the outcome of this election? ‘‘There is no plan B,’’ she replied, in a phrase that even the most disengaged constituent would recognise was stolen from her predecessor Helen Clark.

But her determination to not concede the possibility of failure serves only PR purposes. There is every possibility Ardern may find herself still Leader of the Opposition on election night.

This is where the likes of broadcaster Mark Richardson are right. Not about disclosing plans to start a family, but disclosing her plans if we give her a different job to the one she wants.

Will she embrace the Opposition leader role? Or will she walk away? Political points: 0.