Before we get immersed in the Budget, the Post-Budget anlaysis and the  realisation of the impact of the Budget, I wanted to note that this coming weekend will mark the end of Jeanette Fitzsimons time as Co-Leader of the Greens.  I think all New Zealanders with a concern for their country and their planet should be sad to see her go, and grateful for her contribution.

Its hard to not make a post like this sound saccharine, but I do genuinely admire Jeanette. In the election campaign last year I was asked by a young girl which politician from another party I admired the most and why.  I had no hesitation in naming Jeanette because I have always felt that she spoke for what she truly believed and that she really  lived the ‘brand’ of Green politics.  This does not mean I agreed with everything she said or all the policies of the Greens, but I totally understood where she was coming from and why she said it.

Many of the issues that she has championed going back to her time in the Values Party are now mainstream issues.  It was very insightful in Michael Cullen’s parting remarks both inside Parliament and out that he singled out the issue on which his thinking had moved most over the years was the importance of incorporating sustainability into all our future- economically and socially.

I got to know Jeanette the best when we worked on the response to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification.  This was an example of how a government can respond to a Royal Commission.  We had differing views, but we went through every recommendation and worked out how it could be implemented.  It was a very intense negotiation.  I learned a huge amount from Jeanette, and she never waivered from her principled stance.  Unfortunately the 2002 election came along and some of our work got stymied by the political stunts that go with elections.  I knew Jeanette was uncomfortable with some of how that played out, but the work we did still stood the test of time.

Meteria and Sue B are both talented, intelligent advocates, and whoever is elected co-leader will no doubt lead the Greens well. But it is a hard act to follow.  The shoes they are filling are big and green, principled, friendly and genuine.  Jeanette, I am sure we will still hear from you in your remaining time as an MP, but in the meantime, I want to say thank you  for being a leader.