ABSTRACT
There is an expectation expressed in the media that politics in New Zealand is substantively different at the start of the twenty-first century because the nation’s legislature is under the leadership and ‘control’ of women. This claim is not unique to New Zealand, neither is it new. The belief that the presence of women in legislatures will make politics a kinder and gentler place has been the subject of a growing amount of research. There has also been growing interest in whether female MPs substantively represent women – will female politicians ‘act for women’ once elected? How different is this ‘New World’ being ushered in by the women of the New Zealand parliament?
