Grant Robertson is making it clear any detailed discussion about his bid for a leadership role within the Labour Party will be carried out behind closed doors. The gay Wellington Central MP is among five candidates for leader and deputy leader roles in the party, following the resignations of Phil Goff and Annette King after the election defeat. Robertson is the preferred deputy of one of the front runners for party leadership, David Parker, however there is also some talk Robertson is also a leadership challenger. David Cunliffe has also thrown his hat in the ring, with Nanaia Mahuta as his deputy, while David Shearer is the other contender for Labour leadership. "You will be seeing very limited comment in the media from me about the Labour leadership discussions," Robertson has posted on his Facebook page. "I am talking with and listening to my caucus colleagues and to party members. I have put my name into the mix because I think I can play a leadership role to get us back to government in 2014," he continues. "Labour is a proud party with strong values that have helped build New Zealand. A contest is a good thing, at the end of which we will come together to put those values into action." Among the comments on Robertson's post are "It would be cool to have a gay Prime Minister. Not that I'm saying that's why you should be Labour's Leader. You do have good attributes. BUT it would be another milestone for Labour. Just imagine the Conservative Party?! They'd be packing a fit about it lol."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 30th November 2011 - 9:24am