Green Party MP Jeanette Fitzsimons resigns

BY TRACY WATKINS

Green Party MP Jeanette Fitzsimons confirmed today she had resigned from Parliament with her efforts praised by Prime Minister John Key.

Ms Fitzsimons, the former co-leader, said it was time for a change of pace after a 13 year parliamentary career.

She is the second Green MP to quit Parliament this term; Sue Bradford resigned after losing out to Metiria Turei in a battle over who should replace Ms Fitzsimons in the leadership, after she decided to step down last year.

Ms Fitzsimons, who celebrated her 65th birthday earlier this month, said she wanted to spend more time on the farm and with her grand children.

Prime Minister John Key hailed Ms Fitzsimons this morning, saying she was an honest person with humility.
"She has had very core values and beliefs," he said.

With the late Rod Donald she made the Greens a formidable force. "She will be missed in parliament."

She put across her point of view but was never nasty or antagonistic. "Jeanette always plays the issue, and never the person," Mr Key said.

"She has very strong views, and she's not going to back down and no one will die wondering what Jeanette thinks when it comes to the environment."

Labour leader Phil Goff said Ms Fitzsimons was a good person and a good politician.
"We didn't always agree but she is a loss to Parliament."

Ms Fitzsimons, was the first Green MP to speak in Parliament following the 1996 election and is believed by the party to be the first Green candidate in the world to win an electorate in a first past the post contest, when she won the Coromandel seat in 1999. She lost the seat the following election to National.

In 1998 Ms Fitzsimons introduced the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act and spearheaded Green party negotiations for a household insulation fund.

She shared the co-leadership with the late Rod Donald, who died just weeks after the 2005 election.

Ms Fitzsimons will be replaced by 28-year-old environmental advocate Gareth Hughes, who plans to move from Auckland to Wellington.

Mr Hughes had been working for Greenpeace where he coordinated the Sign On campaign gathering support for climate change policies.

- with MICHAEL FIELD

- © Fairfax NZ News