What the M.P. s were saying Too few appointments of women

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 2

What the M.P. s were saying Too few appointments of women

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

An accusation of failure to implement its policy of giving emphasis to the appointment of women to boards, commissions, and tribunals was levelled at the Government by Mrs M. D. Batchelor (Lab., Avon) during the debate on private members’ notices of motion last week.

Mrs Batchelor, an indefatigable campaigner for women’s rights, had filed a, long notice of motion supporting comments made by j the retiring woman vice-I president of the National: Party (Mrs Helen Sinclair), ; The motion expressed sympathy with Mrs Sinclair's reported comments on thei National Party’s “dismal"! record on appointments of, women, and noted her state-1 ment that already a significant number of former National women supporters' had turned to activist; groups because their ideas, had not been listened to. “I express the concern of every women’s organisation and of individual women at the continuous lack of action by the Government to

implement its stated policy as in its 1975 manifesto,” Mrs Batchelor said.

“The National Party said that it would give emphasis to the appointment of women to boards, commissions, and tribunals,” she said. “It is little wonder that women are becoming extremely impatient. After eight months in office, one would imagine that some action would have been taken Ito make the policy meaningful.” No woman had been appointed to the board of the new Broadcasting Corporation. Mrs Batchelor said. The Labour Government had appointed three. There were ■ only two women among 19 members of the Special Advisory Committee on I Health, and only two among the eight persons appointed to the Commission for the Future. “Women are as able to gaze into a crystal ball as their male counterparts,” Mrs Batchelor said. She regarded the placing of women on boards by the present Government as “only tokenism.”

Qualification needed 1 Miss C. E. Dewe (National,

I Lyttelton) said that in eight 'months, the Government had [appointed 78 women to eight boards. This she knew, but she was sure a search would reveal even more appointees. To Mrs Batchelor’s criticism that no women had been appointed to the Broadcasting Council, Miss Dewe said it was essential that women with the appropriate skills should be found, otherwise the “token woman” referred to by Mrs Batchelor might be the result.

Miss Dewe spoke forcefully, and with some regret, about the difficulty of finding women adequately qualified to take their places on key boards. “If the qualifications are there, they will get the appointments, regardless of sex,” she said.

Mr M. G. Courtney (Lab., Nelson) expressed his sympathy with Mrs Sinclair. “We in t e Labour Party would agree with her that the National Party should have been more mindful of promises,” he said. “The National Party should realise that it must stop pushing women around.”

He quoted a Christchurch suburban n wspaper as saying that Miss Dewe had said that she had been pushed into Parliament by the Nat-

ional Party. “That party will have to learn that women no longer want to be bullied and pushed around,” Mr Courtney said. “Yet still it goes on. With its other woman member, the member for Raglan (Miss Marilyn Waring), it does it again. It dictates to her and to her colleagues ' exactly how the member is to be addressed.” Jury service

Mrs Batchelor gave credit when the Government introduced a bill giving women equal rights with men as jurors. She had some reservations, however. “I have no doubt that many people, men and women, believe that if they feel strongly that they do not want to sit in judgment on their fellows, then they should have the right to opt out of that service,” she said.

She suggested that being called for jury service was a frightening experience, particularly for people who had not been jurors before. She suggested that a little more [instruction about what was (required would be helpful. Mrs Batchelor has lodged another notice of motion, which will be debated in its turn. In it, she attacks the Prime Minister’s reported

1 statement that the present 3 domestic purposes benefit d gives no incentive to young r women to return “to a nort mal type of marital or r employment situation.” The r motion ends with an assuri ance to Mr Muldoon: “That t his repeated attacks on a r section of the female popus lation least able to protect themselves does hjm no credit in the eyes of the t public.” j Anti-nuclear? 1 The point that by in- ’ traducing the Nuclear-free 1 Zone (New Zealand) Bill the ' Oppos ; tion was declaring it- ■ self opposed to all forms of 1 nuclear development was - made by Mr R. L. G. Talbot 1 (National, South Canterbury) ' during debate on the meas- : ure. i “Opposition members have put it on the line that they ; will never be in favour of any sort of nuclear development,” he said. “I believe that some time or efther the i world will have to move i into the nuclear age or perish. The Opposition would also tear up the Anzus pact. ■ The most important meeting , in the history of that pact, has just been concluded in Canberra — we have the United States promising help for the Pacific. What will , our allies think of this ’ Labour measure today?” If the bill were passed, it j would undermine all New ] Zealand's security agree- c ments. Mr R. W. Prebble (Labour, Auckland Central):,. Nonsense. Mr Talbot: Not nonsense, fact. Are Opposition members not aware of the Russian buildup? If the Labour leader had been a real leader he would have killed this bill in this morning’s caucus. Leaner sheep National plans to build up stock numbers were belittled by Mr B. T. Barclay (Labour Christchurch Central), a former Under-Secre-tary for Agriculture. “The member for New Plymouth (Mr A. P. D. Friedlander, National) is no farmer ” he said. “He talked about the decrease in sheep and dairy-cattle numbers but failed to mention the increase in cattle numbers. “If he looks back to the year when the National Government gave a dollar a head for every sheep in the country, he will find that next year we lost two million sheep,” Mr Barclay said. He quoted a report from the Meat and Wool Economic Service' “It is possible that many sheep in the national flock as a result of the higher stocking-rate became smaller-framed, of lower live weight.” “It is a numbers game.” ■Mr Barclay said. “Once ■ again, we see the National I Party joining in. The landed (gentry opposite deal in ■ figures only. They know I nothing of the practical I side.”