Bill’s tribe

Jacinda Ardern’s elevation to Labour leader did not feel like a surprise.

But questioning of her future capability on the basis of the possibility of her becoming a mother is invasive and surprising.

We have had many parents in the role of prime minister. I am surprised that no one has questioned Bill English on his efficiency when I am sure that every day he is no doubt distracted by his innumerable children in some way or other.

At least we know Ardern will not be spending many of her working hours playing golf, dealing with misbehaving teenagers or frequently holidaying in Hawaii.

Ingrid Memelink, Dunedin I’ll vote for the party which addresses the environment, affordable housing and animal welfare; any one of them.

Once the Greens may have been relied on to advocate, especially on the environment, but this isn’t something the co-leaders James Shaw and Metiria Turei have fronted with, instead focusing on upping interest in their party by using Turei’s confession of benefit fraud.

Labour’s mis-step in letting the unions pick Andrew Little shows a lack of connection with the voters, and why wasn’t Annette King considered when they had the chance?

Winston Peters is in it for himself. The smile from ear to ear says it all. And Nathan Guy’s appalling inaction with regards to the live cattle exports, bobby calf cruelty, and the fact that farrow crates still exist in a so-called humane society, loses my vote for National.

I predict three more years of the same. No matter who gets in.

Juliet Crew, Christchurch Stacey Kirk (‘‘National list an exercise in caution’’, July 30) said the National Party was attempting to reach the largely untapped Filipino community through its New Lynn candidate, Paulo Garcia.

Given that the Filipino community is largely Christian conservative, Garcia is certainly the right candidate. But his ranking of 50 shows how much value National places on attracting Filipino voters.

To add insult to injury, National has ranked Wellington Central candidate Nicola Willis, an urban liberal, above Garcia. National is not short of female urban liberal MPs.

This demonstrates National’s priorities. I hope the Filipino community are not fooled.

Max Shierlaw, Lower Hutt