Popular Green MP announces she won’t run in next year’s election

Jan Logie will not stand in next year's election. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Green MP Jan Logie has announced tonight she will not throw her hat in the ring for next year’s election.

Sharing the news to social media, Logie said she will continue her work as the ACC, child poverty reduction, children, disability, state services, Te Tiriti O Waitangi, women, workplace relations and safety MP for the Greens until the election next year.

Logie leaves a legacy behind her. Her journey began with the Green Party in 2011.

In 2013, shewas imprisoned in Sri Lanka while drawing attention to human rights violations that the government had chosen to ignore, which made international news.

Then in 2015, she started a cross-party working group to look at and advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, created to reduce bullying and discrimination of LGBTI youth at school, and wider discrimination in society.

Throughout her time in Parliament, she was also a champion for people and families affected by domestic and sexual violence.

Her Workplace Protection Bill worked to safeguard victims and lessen the huge economic burden of domestic violence. She also spearheaded a select committee examination into funding for specialised social services and assistance for sexual abuse.

Logie was appointed as the Parliamentary Undersecretary to the Minister of Justice, Andrew Little, with a focus on domestic and sexual violence issues following the 2017 election.

In her post on social media, Logie said she had “never believed Parliament is the leader of change or the only place to make change”.

“I do however believe it is really important to have people in Parliament who carry the voices of marginalised communities and te taiao,” Logie wrote.

“I am so inspired by the work being done by whānau/hapū/iwi in our unions and our communities groups and wider communities and the thinking in our tertiary institutions.

“All of your work really has fed my soul and been a beautiful reminder of what is possible.”

She said she has “absolute confidence” in her fellow Greens MPs, and said she was looking “forward to seeing a larger and even stronger team in here after the election”.