Key’s 27 problems – mostly women

To say gender-equality at the Cabinet table can’t be achieved at the expense of merit, is to say there aren’t enough capable women on the Government benches.

The problem for Prime Minister John Key however, is that in the Government he leads, there aren’t enough capable women.

He’s mulling his options as Cabinet requires a reshuffle.

Whatever its configuration, National’s election year A-team will predominantly be made up of middle-aged white men.

That’s not to say National’s ranks don’t feature a formidable set of strong and very capable women; including Paula Bennett, Amy Adams, Anne Tolley, Judith Collins and Maggie Barry.

But it is to say all the female National MPs probably deserving of one of the 27 Cabinet positions are already there.

Barry, along with Jo Goodhew and Nicky Wagner may benefit from promotions of varying degrees.

Of those available to draw into the fold: Mt Roskill candidate Parmjeet Parmar and Jacqui Dean, have barely made ripples during their respective three and 11-year tenures in Parliament.

Parmar – who may well fancy her chances – has been witnessed scurrying away with her head down when asked by Press Gallery journalists in Parliament’s corridor if she would be running for Mt Roskill.

It’s difficult to see her fronting a ministerial portfolio with any more authority than Women’s Affairs Minister Louise Upston.

And Upston should be worried about her place in Cabinet.

Most New Zealanders would likely be unaware four National MPs existed, who go by the names of Barbara Kuriger, Sarah Dowie, Joanne Hayes and Maureen Pugh.

Melissa Lee, an MP since 2008, has barely made headlines but to court controversy over taxpayer funds given to her production company and to suggest South Auckland was full of criminals.

The reshuffle is made harder by the loss of two key figures – unfortunately, both highly capable women.

In Nikki Kaye it’s by no means necessarily permanent, as she takes time off to focus on her treatment following a shock breast cancer diagnosis.

One has to assume Key is being kept in the loop on that front, but it’s understood even her Cabinet colleagues know very little at this stage.

Key will also have a decision to make over whether to keep Education Minister Hekia Parata in her portfolio, until she retires from politics at the election.

It’s difficult to see any practical sense in doing that.

Keeping one of the few women, and Maori ministers, front and centre during the campaign however, may make political sense when options are limited.

As senior Minister Murray McCully famously put it in a 2004 internal e-mail: ‘‘We do look like a bunch of conservative, honky males in suits.’’

Astute as ever, he was entirely correct and the party will be no less self-aware this time around.

It should be noted National’s party list from 2014 features only one other female candidate who didn’t make it into Parliament.

Misa Fia Turner contested for National in Mangere.

Among the few headlines she garnered was controversy over whether she had deceptively claimed the chiefly title of Misa.

Rejuvenation at next year’s election is the only qualitative solution – that doesn’t make Key’s decisions easier now.