Friends worried about Donald days before death

Friends were worried about the health of Green Party co-leader Rod Donald just days before his death, his former secretary Danna Glendining said today.

Mrs Glendining said Mr Donald, who died early on Sunday morning, and co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons stayed at her house on Thursday night following a Green Party meeting in Hamilton.

"He was not at all well on Thursday night. He had a really bad stomach bug," she said.

"He hadn't been well for about a week. He pushed himself though. Perhaps he shouldn't have come up to the Waikato."

It had been suspected that Mr Donald died of a heart attack in the early hours of Sunday morning, but Ms Fitzsimons said this had now been ruled out.

It is now hoped a coroner's report will reveal how the healthy 48-year-old died in his sleep.

Ms Glendining said despite obviously not feeling well, Mr Donald was still typically upbeat and energetic.

"He was very happy about a TV3 poll on Thursday night showing Green Party support had gone up. I thought, 'What's the point of getting excited about a poll a month after the election?' But that was Rod."

Mrs Glendining knew Mr Donald for many years and was his secretary for a year when he entered Parliament in 1996.

- nzpa