Most women against Labour’s gender quotas

The Herald reports:

Labour’s target of selecting candidates to ensure women make up at least half of its caucus by 2017 has been given the thumbs down in the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey – and more than half of the women polled said it was too restrictive.

The survey asked respondents whether they believed Labour’s target of achieving 50 per cent by 2017 was a good idea, or too restrictive.

Overall, 54 per cent said it was too restrictive, while just 38 per cent believed it was a good idea. Among the women respondents, 52 per cent said it was too restrictive while 42 per cent believed it was a good idea.

And it’s more than a target, it is basically a quota.

A spokeswoman for Labour leader David Cunliffe said it was a matter for the party. 

Oh how brave. DC campaigned on it in the leadership primary.

Labour has so far selected only about eight candidates, all in electorates held by other parties. So far four are males and three are females – but in the three more marginal seats of Otaki, Napier and Te Tai Hauauru the candidates are all male – Robb McCann, Stuart Nash and Adrian Rurawhe respectively.

What the gender quota means is that if those three men look likely to win their seats, then three men on the party list must be demoted beneath female candidates to compensate.