NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Rachel Smalley: Louise Upston, Minister of No Comment, needs to go

Newstalk ZB
15 Dec, 2016 06:29 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Louise Upston has been the Minister of No Comment.

Louise Upston has been the Minister of No Comment.

Rachel Smalley
Opinion by Rachel Smalley
Rachel Smalley is a radio host for Newstalk ZB. Listen to her between 5am and 6am every weekday morning.

This weekend Bill English will overhaul his Cabinet.

Ministers are already resigning - Murray McCully has stood down as Foreign Affairs Minister. Craig Foss has gone too. Hekia Parata said before John Key resigned that she wouldn't stand in the next election.

English needs to signal rejuvenation but at the same time, stability. He's got to strike the balance.

Already we know Steven Joyce takes over the Finance Minister role, and it seems likely that Jonthan Coleman will be the next Foreign Affairs Minister.

But I'm also interested to see what the Prime Minister does with the Women's Affairs role.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At the moment, Louise Upston is the incumbent, but she has always given me the impression that she's uncomfortable with the role. Unsure of her role, perhaps.

In any case, she's been ineffective.

The writing was on the wall when she said she wasn't a feminist.

She said she wasn't going to be a flag-waver for women's issues, which, well, what is a Women's Affairs Minister for?

Paula Bennett and Judith Collins happily shoulder being feminists.

Discover more

Employment

Trump assembling richest Cabinet ever

16 Dec 10:50 PM

And that's because if you believe men and women should have the same rights, then you're a feminist. It's pretty straight-forward.

In fact, I've said on this programme before that my brother, Jason, who's a pretty raw farmer sort of a bloke, has a daughter and I've said he's a feminist because he believes his daughter should have the same rights as my son.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He's feminist. A feminist in Red Bands.

But back to the Women's Affairs Minister.

Louise Upston has been ineffective. Plain and simple.

She said she's not a flag-waver for women's issues.

She wouldn't comment on Ponytailgate - when the PM pulled a waitress' ponytail. Sure, it's difficult ground to cover when the boss does something wrong, but you still need to comment.

Upston voted against same-sex marriage.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She once said beauty pageants could give a young woman confidence.

She wouldn't comment on the Chiefs stripper scandal when the New Zealand Rugby Union failed quite spectacularly with its flawed internal investigation.

Collins stepped in on that issue and said that investigation didn't feel right, and she ''was'' right.

Bennett has taken on big issues as well. It was Bennett who took the bull by the horns and took on Wicked Campers and those appalling, appalling slogans emblazoned across the side of their campers.

Upston, again, silent. She was the Minister of No Comment.

And yet we need a Women's Minister who will be more visual and vocal on issues such as family violence, pay equality, diversity on boards, paid parental leave... the list goes on.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

So English, I think, has to replace Upston.

Who with? Could Bennett shoulder that role as well as her other portfolios? Not sure. That's a heavy workload.

But Crusher could, I reckon.

Collins as Women's Affairs Minister.

She would front-foot every issue she needed to because, well, Crusher front-foots everything doesn't she?

The Women's Affairs role sits outside Cabinet, and that's another issue too, but I hope that while English is reshuffling his Cabinet, he also appoints a bold, effective Minister of Women's Affairs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Crown urged to consult Māori on coastal rights amid funding scheme review

06 Jun 05:23 AM
New Zealand

'Kick in the guts': Christchurch Mayor on rejected housing plan

06 Jun 05:08 AM
New Zealand

Police call off search for missing Christchurch woman

06 Jun 04:56 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Crown urged to consult Māori on coastal rights amid funding scheme review

Crown urged to consult Māori on coastal rights amid funding scheme review

06 Jun 05:23 AM

Costs for coastal marine title claims are expected to rise to $19 million in 2024-25.

'Kick in the guts': Christchurch Mayor on rejected housing plan

'Kick in the guts': Christchurch Mayor on rejected housing plan

06 Jun 05:08 AM
Police call off search for missing Christchurch woman

Police call off search for missing Christchurch woman

06 Jun 04:56 AM
'Absolutely disgraceful': Outrage as defibrillator donated by late All Blacks doctor stolen

'Absolutely disgraceful': Outrage as defibrillator donated by late All Blacks doctor stolen

06 Jun 04:53 AM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP