“Nominations?” Silence fell over the room. A member of Grant’s team stood and yelled, “Grant Robertson!” I waited a beat for the seconder to stand. Instead, it was Grant who stood. “I don’t wish to be ranked,” Grant said. “Not until Jacinda Ardern has been.” He flashed me a smile, the kind that says, I know exactly what I just did, and then turned his eyes back to the front. I sat silently in the room, watching all the process hum around me. Someone nominated me, another seconded my name, and with that I was added to the list. Grant had just guaranteed that I would be ranked higher than him.
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