Louisa Wall - A Victim of Homophobia in the Labour Party?

Something strange is happening in Manurewa. Labour MP Louisa Wall is being challenged for selection to the seat she currently holds there, and she’s being challenged by some in  her own party.

This is the sort of thing that usually only happens when there’s been a scandal of some sort, but in this case there isn’t even the tiniest whiff of one. 

It seems that some group in the Labour Party organisation has taken against her, but it’s hard to see why.

Looking at the Spinoff’s 2019 list of MPs who are flops she doesn’t get a mention, but a couple of Labour Cabinet Ministers get rated as under-performers by a range of different commentators. No mention of Louisa.

Some say that there is discontent in her electorate, that she’s not seen as doing enough for it, but from her social media she seems to be a busy and engaged local MP.

It's hard to believe, but there are also some young Queer activists who think she's not radical enough and are hoping she's kicked out. In their desire for ideological purity (that means you must think exactly like them or you're a fascist) they are happy to undermine any positive work that doesn't fit their own narrow and puritanical agenda.

It’s not like she’s unqualified - she has a Masters in Social Policy, and has worked for a number of organisations such as the Families Commission and the Human rights Commission, as well as having a truly impressive record as an athlete, representing New Zealand in both Netball with the Silver Ferns,  and Rugby with the Black Ferns. 

She has been a proud and forceful advocate on issues that affect Māori and Pasifika communities as well.

I can’t think of anyone else from any party who has this kind of record.

She has always been a vocal and important MP for the country’s Queer communities, showing up whenever she can and offering support both publicly and at times behind the scenes to help get things going. Perhaps there are some in her electorate who don’t like this aspect of her work? Manurewa is a vibrant melting pot of an electorate, and it’s not unreasonable to think there are some more conservative and religious Labour supporters who’d rather not have an outspoken lesbian as their representative. Homophobia is everywhere, even in places like the Labour Party where you think it might have disappeared.

Her most obvious contribution to our communities was in getting same-sex marriage through the House in 2013, thus getting us legal equality for our relationships. The Labour Party now triumphs this as a piece of their work, but in fact it was her Private Members Bill, and Labour as a party only officially swung behind it when it was clear it would pass thanks to cross-party support. Perhaps that rankles for some still. 

She has tirelessly worked for our communities both before she was an MP and during her time as one. I doubt there’s a LGBTI+ organisation in the country that she doesn’t have some sort of connection with. Jan Logie from the Greens is the only other Queer MP I can think of who works this hard for us. 

If the challenge to her is successful, our communities will lose a strong and clear voice in Parliament, and as much as I hate to say it, I think homophobia and the religious conservatives will have won. Our communities will be weaker, but so will the electorate of Manurewa, and Aotearoa/ New Zealand as a whole.

So why the hostility from within the party itself?Labour has a habit of taking the LGBTI+ vote for granted. Given this, it is strange that nobody has put up a credible explanation, which I think we all deserve.

 It's election year after all, and nothing matters as much as the party vote. Labour might lose a few if this nasty little coup goes ahead.