Former finance minister Grant Robertson is now New Zealand’s first openly gay deputy prime minister after he was appointed by Jacinda Ardern; he is due to be officially sworn in on Friday. The new cabinet unveiling is a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and also consists of eight women and five of Māori (the indigenous community of New Zealand) descent.
According to The Guardian, Robertson was responsible for handling the country’s Covid-19 funding, and the government have been widely praised for their efficient response to the pandemic. When discussing his appointment as deputy, Robertson said: “I still get a lot of emails and messages from young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who look towards us to provide that kind of role-modelling. I’ll keep doing my job the way that I’ve been doing it, but I’m very proud to have the role.”
Following the October elections, New Zealand has the most LGBTQ+ inclusive parliament in the world. Out of 120 parliamentary positions, 12 seats – up from 7 – are now held by openly LGBTQ+ members, meaning 9.6% of the cabinet is made up of queer politicians; this is over 2% more than the UK Parliament. Labour prime minister Ardern, who won in a landslide victory, also promised to increase protections for the LGBTQ+ community, saying: “People should not be discriminated against, bullied or hurt for being who they are. We need to rally around that simple premise.”
