Editorial: Bradford's departure

MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail

Sue Bradford

Relevant offers

OPINION: Love or loathe her – and there is an army in each camp – there can be no denying Sue Bradford's impact on political and everyday life in this country.

She entered Parliament a decade ago with the reputation of a strident and brash – some would say crass – anti-establishment activist. While her power to polarise was reinvigorated by her ultimately successful campaign to reform section 59 of the Crimes Act – the so-called anti-smacking legislation – within the House, respect for the Green MP and passionate advocate for the underdog grew.

Ms Bradford sheets her resignation firmly to her party's choice of Metiria Turei as co-leader on May 30, replacing the longstanding Jeanette Fitzsimons. The younger woman, a lawyer, won a divisive struggle over Ms Bradford – presumably because the membership saw Ms Turei as a fresh new face to join Russel Norman at the head of the party. Perhaps the Green pragmatists also saw some wisdom in edging slightly closer to the centre and away from the firebrand socialist brawler image that the public still associates with Ms Bradford.

With a far higher public profile and stronger track record in the House, the 57-year-old's disappointment is understandable. The rift it signals is also unfortunate for a party that prides itself on its consensus-based, democratic, conciliatory style of decision-making. Ms Bradford, whose other significant markers on the roadmap of New Zealand politics included private members' bills lifting the minimum hourly rate for youth workers and increasing the time some mothers can keep their babies while in prison, says she will remain a Green member and stay active in community, union and political affairs.

Her departure in a month will see Parliament without its most effective voice for the most marginalised people of this country – the unemployed, the underpaid, the young. Her determined battle for section 59 reform saw her vilified by conservative forces. However, she will also re-enter ordinary society older, wiser, and with considerably more credibility than when she entered Parliament. Ms Bradford has been suggested as a worthy contender for a place on the so-called Auckland super city council. It is interesting to contemplate how many votes she would get.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Newest First

Oldest First