For The Record: How Feminist are New Zealand’s MPs Really?

Seems the latest trend in New Zealand—and global—politics is shoving a mic in the face of your local politician and asking whether they're a feminist.

But why are we still asking? If 2016 taught us anything, surely it's that grabbing for the feminist label means less than nothing when it comes to actual progress on women's rights. In a world where even Spanx—the modern day equivalent of the corset—are proudly proclaiming their feminist credentials, it pays to treat the self-adopted label with a healthy dose of cynicism.

VICE's election series, For the Record, looks less at what politicians say or promise, and instead gives you the receipts on what they do: which way they've voted, what laws they've drafted, and what they've pushed for in the hallowed halls of Parliament.

READ MORE: For the Record: Which MPs Care About Child Poverty?

We've selected just a few hot points regarded as central to the feminist movement: paid parental leave, sex-worker rights, the gender pay gap, abortion, and support for single mothers. It's not a comprehensive record, but we've checked the voting and policy records of MPs to see where they stand. Feminist or not? You can decide.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
Unclear, even to Bill himself. When asked, English said he "didn't quite know what that means".

Paid Parental Leave
In 2015 as Finance Minister Bill English promised to use the financial veto to block the 26 weeks paid parental leave bill even if it was passed by vote, and voted against the bill. His government did increase it from 14 to 16 weeks earlier this year, and in the latest election campaign has committed to increasing leave to 22 weeks.

Sex Worker Rights
Voted against the 2003 Prostitution Reform Bill which legalised sex work.
Voted for a bill in 2006 that aimed to allow local councils to ban street sex work.

Reproductive Rights
Since becoming Prime Minister English has said he is "opposed to abortion on principle", in all circumstances, but he believes the current law should remain. Backed a law which would require girls under 16 to tell their parents if they sought an abortion, saying, "The idea that the law allows your 12- to 14-year-old daughter to have an abortion on her own and go back to school is repugnant."
Voted for an amendment which would have a doctor strongly opposed to abortion appointed to the Abortion Advisory Committee.

Support for Single Mums
A mixed bag: the National Government oversaw sweeping changes to benefits that restricted grants for further study and introduced job-testing for single mothers between 2009 and 2013. In 2004 English voted against Working for Families benefits, but in 2015 increased Working for Families payments, especially for low-income families.

Equal Pay
Currently pushing through the Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap.
Voted against the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
Yes. In 2015 she wrote a column on it, saying, "In my simple worldview, if you believe in equality, you should be a feminist."

Paid Parental Leave
Ardern has supported Labour's proposal to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks, and written about her stance here.

Sex Worker Rights
Ardern was not an MP when Parliament voted to legalise sex work in New Zealand.

Reproductive Rights
Ardern was not an MP when Parliament debated changes to the Care of Children Act that would require the parents of girls under 16 seeking an abortion to be informed.
In the most recent leaders debate, she said she would review the current law and decriminalise abortion.

Single Mums
Ardern spoke out against sweeping benefit reforms affecting single mothers on the benefit in 2013, saying, "This set of reforms will do absolutely nothing to improve their job prospects through either training or education, or by addressing the underlying issues of the unavailability of work, particularly work that suits their childcare needs." She voted against the Social Security Amendment Bill that introduced harsher work-testing measures for beneficiaries including solo parents.

Equal Pay
Opposes National's Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap. Labour and the Greens say the bill will have the reverse effect, making it more difficult for women to make claims of historic pay discrimination. Ardern has promised to scrap the legislation and redraft it if she becomes PM.
Voted for the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
Initially, Bennett said she was a feminist "most days". She's since clarified that she's a full-time feminist, but not of the "anti and man-hating" variety.

Paid Parental Leave
National voted en masse against extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks. In 2004 Bennett supported paid parental leave for self-employed persons, and advocated for the introduction of a lump-sum payment for rural women.

Sex Worker Rights
Voted against a bill in 2006 that aimed to allow local councils to ban street sex work

Reproductive Rights
As Social Development Minister she put in place funding for free long-term contraception for parents on benefits. Voted against an amendment which would have a doctor strongly opposed to abortion appointed to the Abortion Advisory Committee.

Single Mums
In 2012, Bennett oversaw sweeping changes to solo-parent benefits, including the introduction of part-time work testing for sole parents of children aged five years and older and full-time work testing for sole parents of children aged 14 years and over. More reforms in 2013 included requiring solo mothers claiming a benefit to return to work when their child is 12 months old, if their older children are aged over five. In 2009 Bennett introduced further restrictions to the training incentive allowance, which pays for single parents' further education.

Equal Pay
Supports the Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap.
Voted against the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
Hasn't explicitly said, but he's a spokesman for White Ribbon and has called on men to speak out about domestic violence, violence against women, and sexual violence. He denounced questions about female politicians' plans to have children as sexist.

Paid Parental Leave
Voted to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks.

Sex Worker Rights
The Prostitution Reform Bill, which legalised sex work, was before Davis' time in Parliament.

Reproductive Rights
Voted against appointing a doctor strongly opposed to abortion to the Abortion Supervisory Committee.

Single Mums
Voted against sweeping changes to solo-parent benefits in 2012, including the introduction of part-time work testing for sole parents of children aged five years and older and full-time work testing for sole parents of children aged 14 years and over. More reforms in 2013 included requiring solo mothers claiming a benefit to return to work when their child is 12 months old, if their older children are aged over five.

Equal Pay
Opposes National's Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap. Labour says it will redraft the legislation to make historic settlements easier.
Voted for the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
Winston seems deeply confused about this. When recently asked by a reporter his response was "Well, ah. Are you a macho person? I don't think so but if you want to say you are that's fine with me."

Paid Parental leave
Voted to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks.

Sex Worker Rights
Voted against the 2003 Prostitution Reform Act to legalise sex work in New Zealand.
Voted for a bill in 2006 that aimed to allow local councils to ban street sex work.

Reproductive Rights
In a conversation with Bob McCoskrie, Winston said about abortions: "Our position is they should be safe, they should be legal and they should be rare." He has also said he's against decriminalisation, and in favour of the parents of women 16 and under being informed.

Single Mums
Winston voted against sweeping welfare reforms in 2012, which affected single mothers on benefits, saying, "The new measures have been designed by rich people to keep the poor and downtrodden in their place at the bottom of the heap."

Equal Pay
Voted for the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist? Shaw himself hasn't made a precise statement on this, but the Green Party calls itself "Feminist and proud".

Paid Parental Leave Voted for the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months' Paid Leave) Amendment Bill, which extended paid parental leave to 26 weeks. The Bill was vetoed by Bill English.

Sex Worker Rights
It was before Shaw's time in Parliament, but his ex-co-leader Metiria Turei voted for the 2003 Prostitution Reform Bill that legalised sex work in NZ, and voted against a bill in 2006 that aimed to allow local councils to ban street sex work.

Reproductive Rights
Supports decriminalisation of abortion in New Zealand.

Single Mums
It was before Shaw's time in Parliament, but the Greens spoke out against sweeping benefit reforms that restricted support for single mothers in 2013, saying, "Welfare reforms that punish these women for having children are a complete distraction from Government's failure to provide jobs."

Equal Pay
Voted for the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
Marama has not been explicitly asked—but it seems like the answer is broadly yes. In one interview she said, "We can see motherhood as a hindrance but for me, the ultimate feminism is to be able to be a mother and for that to be ok."

Paid Parental Leave
Voted to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks.

Sex Worker Rights
Fox became an MP in 2014, well after the 2003 Prostitution Reform Act that legalised sex work in NZ.

Reproductive Rights
Fox backed a law which would require girls under 16 to tell their parents if they sought an abortion.

Single mums
Fox became an MP in 2014, after sweeping changes to benefits for single mothers had been introduced—which the Māori party did support.
On the subject of vulnerable families, Fox threatened to walk away from the Government coalition over legislation that didn't ensure Māori children would be placed with whanau when the state removed them from their home.

Equal Pay
Voted for the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist
Yes!

Paid Parental Leave
Voted against extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks.

Sex Worker Rights
Voted against the legalisation of sex work in 2003.

Reproductive Rights
Unclear. Brownlee did vote against the appointment of a highly anti-abortion doctor to the Abortion Supervisory Committee in 2011.

Single Mums
Voted for sweeping changes to benefits from 2009 to 2013 that restricted single mothers' access to funding for further education and placed work-testing requirements on single mothers on the benefit.

Equal Pay
Supports the Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap.
Voted against the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
We can't find any record of Little being asked the question, or making a statement either way.

Paid Parental Leave
Little is is currently pushing for 26 weeks paid parental leave.

Sex Worker Rights
Little was not an MP when the Prostitution Reform Bill was voted on in 2003.

Reproductive Rights
Little was not an MP when Parliament debated changes to the Care of Children Act that would require the parents of girls under 16 seeking an abortion to be informed. In a Q&A with The Standard, he said, "On abortion, I support reviewing our current law, which is nearly 40 years old."

Single Mums
Voted against the Social Security Amendment Bill that was designed to shift beneficiaries including single mothers into work, saying the policy "beat up on the most vulnerable and the poorest of our people: those who look to the State for help at a time of need, those for whom life has not delivered very good chances, and those who may have done well once but whose life's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse."

Equal Pay
Opposes National's Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap. Labour says it will redraft the legislation to make historic settlements easier.
Voted for the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
Collins says she's a life-long member of the F club.

Paid Parental Leave
National Party voted en masse against extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks.

Sex Worker Rights
Collins voted against the Prostitution Reform Bill in 2003, saying, "In my opinion, prostitution is rape accompanied by payment—if the prostitute is lucky." In 2006 she voted for a bill that aimed to allow local councils to ban street sex work.

Reproductive Rights
Collins backed a law which would require girls under 16 to tell their parents if they sought an abortion.

Single Mums
Voted for the Social Security Amendment Bill in 2013, which placed more work-testing requirements on beneficiaries. As Welfare Spokeswoman in 2005, Collins advocated for single mothers to lose their benefit if they did not name the father of their child.

Equal Pay
Supports the Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap.
Voted against the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

Self-Proclaimed Feminist?
When asked, Joyce responded, "Well I don't know, I'm wearing my purple tie, does that help?"

Paid parental leave
Voted against extending paid parental leave to 26 weeks.

Sex Worker Rights
Didn't vote on the Prostitution Reform Bill in 2003, which legalised sex work.

Reproductive Rights
Voted against the appointment of a highly anti-abortion doctor to the Abortion Supervisory Committee in 2011.

Single Mums
Voted for sweeping changes to benefits from 2009-2013 that restricted single mothers' access to funding for further education and placed work-testing requirements on single mothers on the benefit.

Equal Pay
Supports the Employment (Equal Pay and Pay Equity) Bill, which is designed to remove barriers to ending the gender pay gap.
Voted against the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, which would have required businesses to reveal their gender pay gap.

READ MORE: Which NZ Politicians Are Racists?

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