Fitzsimons to end love-hate parliamentary affair

Jeanette Fitzsimons. Photo / Mark Mitchell

After 13 love-hate years in Parliament, Green Party founding member and former co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons will leave next month.

Ms Fitzsimons announced yesterday that she will finish as an MP on February 11.

She will be replaced by Aucklander Gareth Hughes, 28, who has been co-ordinating Greenpeace's Sign On campaign for bold action from the government on climate change.

Ms Fitzsimons said her advice to her Gisborne-born successor was simple: Prioritise. "Don't let yourself get so bogged down in the detail that you never get home at night."

She said it had been a huge privilege to lead the Greens in Parliament. " I have both loved it and hated it, but it's the right time now for me to go. It's the right time for me and the Greens."

The move is another step in the changing of the Green guard. Last year, after Ms Fitzsimons stood down as co-leader, Metiria Turei won election to the job and MP Sue Bradford resigned.

Ms Fitzsimons had wanted to leave earlier, but the death of co-leader Rod Donald shortly after the 2005 election changed that.

Russel Norman, who succeeded Mr Donald as co-leader, said that had been appreciated.

"Jeanette has played a critical role in leading the Green Party through the first phase of our history and has mentored and supported a new wave of Green MPs and co-leaders."

Ms Turei said she would be missed. "We will have a very new team shortly in Parliament and that team is standing on the shoulders of Jeanette and Rod and Sue and all of those who first came in in 1999."

Prime Minister John Key was effusive in his praise, saying Ms Fitzsimons had been a cornerstone of her party and her hard work and expertise were a loss.

"Her passion for the environment, coupled with her warm and engaging nature was a fearsome combination.

She has been a trailblazer in New Zealand politics but never let the political process distract her from her core values. This is a rare and commendable attribute."

Ms Fitzsimons recently turned 65. She said she wanted to give herself time to get stuck into a new line of work, possibly unpaid, in an area she cared about as well as spending time on the farm, with her family and friends and having fun kayaking and going to the theatre.

She is taking a six-month break before making any decisions about her future.

She said there had been positives about her years in Parliament. "I loved the feeling that sometimes you could make constructive change."

Chairing the local government and environment select committee for six years was satisfying. Proud achievements including getting into Parliament; having energy efficiency legislation passed and getting governments to pick up the party's home insulation policy.

"I enjoyed the negotiations with governments, particularly over the nine years with Helen Clark, and the things we managed to achieve in co-operation there and the new relationships that we pioneered under MMP. Each term, we had a different relationship with the government which was new and so we have set the agenda there as well.

"I have hated the petty point-scoring and bickering that goes on in the House; the triviality, the character assassination and I must admit at times I have hated the extremely long hours that you have to work to do this job."

Ms Fitzsimons said the party's best chance of getting into government was in 2002, but it was blocked by Labour. However, it had achieved legislative and budget gains without that.

"I am quite willing to say it's a regret I was never a minister because I think I would have made a good minister but ... the whole point about politics is you play the hand that you are dealt."

Ms Fitzsimons said she was confident the party would thrive without her.

She was the first Green MP to speak in Parliament following the 1996 election - when the party came in on special votes - and she is believed to be the first Green candidate in the world to win an electorate in a first-past-the-post contest, taking Coromandel in 1999.

- NZPA