Ian McLean Green Scene Spokesperson for the Green Party

Gender balance and equitable representation by Maori and young people are all requirements of the list process for the Greens.

The current parliament has 14 Green MPs, which includes eight women, three Maori and two people aged under 35 – reflecting that process.

The next list will deliver a similarly broad array of representation.

TV3's ‘The Nation' last weekend featured a debate between the leaders of all the major minor parties – although there are many more than the seven presented on the programme.

Did anybody notice four of those seven leaders are Maori. Not a bad rate, with Maori representing just 15 per cent of the population.

If one adds in the leader of the NZ Independent Coalition, five leaders out of eight are Maori, or five of out 10 if Labour and National are included.

This is a much better leadership rate than women are achieving in our parliament.

Just one of those leaders is a Maori woman, despite women representing more than 50 per cent of the population.

Thus, in terms of leadership, Maori are doing well – but women are not.

Metiria Turei might also be the youngest of those leaders, or at least in a tie with the leader of the Conservatives.

Considering NZ was the first country in the world to have women as both a Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, the current low frequency of women in leadership positions is a sorry state of affairs.

However, the rate of leadership by Maori is one of the great successes of MMP.