The Cabinet reshuffle conundrum

Stacey Kirk writes:

In a lineup where the first iteration only just managed to tick the box of adequate female representation, Ardern has to replace one woman who was arguably there to fill a quota in the first place – as incompetent as Clare Curran proved to be.
She also faces complications with sacked Meka Whaitiri, who is widely acknowledged to have bruised a staffer, yet is still fixing for a ministerial return. ‘Fat chance’ would be the appropriate response, but with the apparent support of the Māori caucus it’s an added layer of complexity at the least. 
In a pool of 14 potential women that could be brought to or near the Cabinet table, only three have been in parliament for more than a term. Poto Williams, Ruth Dyson and Louisa Wall. 

If Labour wasn’t obsessed with quotas, and the promotions were on merit, it would be very easy.

There is once vacancy in Cabinet. You look at who has been the best performing Labour Minister outside Cabinet. It is clearly Kris Faafoi. So on competence and ability he should move into Cabinet.

There is also a vacancy outside Cabinet. If you look at the next rank down you have a Parliamentary Under-Secretary in Michael Wood who is clearly capable of being a Minister.

So on ability and competence the two promotions should be Faafoi and Wood. But they have a problem. They have penises.