New Labour MP Soraya Peke-Mason not enthusiastic about Government in resurfaced video

Women of Aotearoa, for the first time you are finally equally represented in Parliament.

In fact, thanks to outgoing MPs Trevor Mallard and Dr Gaurav Sharma, women now actually outnumber men with 60 female MPs to 59 male. It has only taken 168 years, five months and two days.

Mallard's replacement Soraya Peke-Mason was sworn in on Tuesday and swung the balance from male to female.

"New Zealand's Parliament is now 50 percent women for the first time. One of only six countries in the world that is currently in this position," acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson said. 

"Whilst it's a special day for me, I think it's historic for New Zealand," said Peke-Mason.

But Newshub can reveal she hasn't always been so enthusiastic about the Government.

She posted a video to YouTube in 2019 when she was a Rangitīkei councillor in which she said: "The greatest challenge we have as governors facing us is the avalanche of policies out of central government."

ACT leader David Seymour said: "We might invite her over to have some scones with ACT because she seems to have the right idea."

But Peke-Mason was striking a different tone on Tuesday as a newly-minted MP.

Asked if she thinks there's been an avalanche of policy from the Government, she said she believes the Government's "been very courageous, very transformative".

It's now a Parliament that's now actually representative.

"About blimmen time," said Greens co-leader Marama Davidson. 

"Notably there's probably less than 10 percent of those wahine who are Māori so we've still got more mahi to do," said Te Paati Māori's Debbie Ngarewa Packer.

"I think it's something Kate Sheppard would be so so proud of," said ACT's Nicole McKee.

One party though really lacking on the diversity front is National. 

It has three Chrises, but only 33 percent of its caucus are women and just two are Māori. 

"I'm a feminist and I want to see women equally represented in public life and in the party I'm proud to be deputy leader of," said National deputy leader Nicola Willis. 

This historic gender balance could just be a moment in time. Keeping the 50/50 split probably depends on National becoming more diverse.

One opportunity for them is the Hamilton West by-election. It's up to the local party to decide who's selected but the leadership is piling on the pressure.