Labour has dropped it's so-called "man ban", but still wants to keep its targets for more women in caucus.
Leader David Shearer says he asked the Labour Party president to withdraw the controversial proposal which would see a restriction on some electorates to women only as a way to boost the number of female MPs.
The party has a goal of 45 percent female MPs by 2014 and a 50 percent target by 2017.
Mr Shearer said he was not at the meeting where the female-only electorates recommendation was made.
"I spoke to the party president and other senior members yesterday and we agreed it would be better to take this particular proposition off the table."
He called the idea a distraction from other issues. He supported the target for female MPs, but not that particular way to get there.
The Labour Party will discuss the proposal in a caucus meeting today, but MPs have voiced their dismay at how the issue has damaged their party.
Labour MP Chris Hipkins would not comment on the recommendation because there were "things that are more important".
But when asked how damaging the proposal had been for the party he replied: "It hasn't been great."
- VIDEO: Labour MPs on the 'man ban'
Phil Goff did not expect the "man ban" to get much further than today's caucus meeting.
"I don’t expect that proposal as a way of achieving gender equity will go forward and I don't expect actually caucus will spend much time on it because we've got other issues of more interest to the wider public.
"I think there are better ways of achieving a better gender balance and I don't think that's the way of doing it."
Labour's newest MP Meka Whaitiri says she did not think she had been chosen over Shane Taurima for the party's Ikaroa-Rawhiti candidate because she was a woman.
"No, not at all. I think I got selected on merit and I'm happy to be the representative for Ikaroa-Rawhiti.
"At the end of the day that's not what defines me."
Both Clare Curran and Nanaia Mahuta were "disappointed" the idea had courted so much controversy.
"Of course I'm not happy with it. It's been damaging to the cause of getting more women into parliament," Ms Curran said.
Ms Mahuta said the main issue was about reaching Labour's target for female representation.
The are currently 13 female Labour MPs, of a total 33 MPs in the party. When Ms Whaitiri is sworn in, that will increase to 14 out of 34, or 41 percent.
3 News
source: newshub archive
