Sue
MORONEY
Women’s Affairs Spokesperson

26 November 2012 MEDIA STATEMENT
Goodhew’s performance disappoints

The National Government is letting New Zealanders down when it comes to appointing women on boards says Labour’s spokesperson for Women's Affairs, Sue Moroney.

The Census of Women's Participation, released yesterday by the Human Rights Commission, shows the proportion of women appointed to state sector boards has declined under National from 42% in 2008 to 41.1% in 2012.

"It's great to see that private companies have finally started to lift their game on appointing more women to boards. However, their progress is being undermined by the Government's sorry performance.

"It's another example of the failure of Minister of Women's Affairs Jo Goodhew to influence her Ministerial colleagues into action.
“The Government should be leading by example. Instead, John Key has relegated the Minister of Women's Affairs to a position outside of Cabinet and the participation of women has continued to decline under his Government.

"Minister Goodhew has already reduced her Government's target for appointing women to state sector boards from the previous target of 50% in 2012 down to just 45% in 2016, but at this rate they won't even reach that modest target.

"Jo Goodhew and the National Government need to lift their game,” Sue Moroney said.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>