SST says Fitzsimons to announce retirement
The Sunday Star-Times says:
GREEN PARTY co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is about to announce her resignation from the post. She will stand down to allow a new co-leader time to make her mark before the 2011 election.
The veteran Green, co-leader since 1995, is expected to serve out the parliamentary term as a list MP.
No real surprise, but earlier than expected. Seems weird to announce your retirement just weeks after the election. I guess if she had become a Minister, it would have been delayed.
Fitzsimons’ departure will leave a difficult problem for the party. She is a widely liked and admired politician, with appeal across the political spectrum.
Yep. You very very rarely hear a bad word about her.
The SST looks at her possible sucessors:
Neither Bradford nor Turei has similar appeal. Bradford, once a fiery Marxist radical, has softened her image, but her sponsorship of the anti-smacking bill drew much flak.
Turei has the progressive appeal of being a Maori woman, but she may be seen as too radical to have wide appeal.
It is not known if Catherine Delahunty, elected to parliament at last year’s general election, will be a candidate for the co-leadership. Her lack of parliamentary experience could count against her.
Oh please please please let the Greens select Catherine Delahunty as co-leader. If she stands, I urge all Kiwiblog readers to join the Green Party and vote for her 
Sue Bradford is a very competent and hard working MP. She impresses on select committees. But her anti-smacking law has (rightfully) tainted her public image, and she is not from the environmental wing of the party. Bradford would be a risk – a Bradford/Norman leadership coudl look like the Greens had turned into the Alliance.
I think Metira Turei is their best bet. She is very smart, and while she is a radical (former anarchist), she has been pretty restrained as an MP.
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I want Bradford as the co leader. Her communist background and influence could finally show the public what the Green party are really about.
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I feel quite sure that Turei will get the job as she is as far left as the Dork currently half leader.
The way in which the Labour Party will be going soon will suit both to move closer together as a combined left wing grouping.
Labour has nowhere to go but left, and Gofffff is ineffective in any case. When Klark does not get the UN job she will start to move back, as she appears already to be doing by keeping her MSM contacts alive. Goffff not very happy about that.
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
turei will get the nod..
..despite ‘the fix’ being in for bradford..
..delahunty has a a snowballs’ chance in hell..
http://whoar.co.nz/2009/comment-whoarahemas-i-predicted-a-couple-of-weeks-agoshell-be-gone-by-winterjeanette-fitzsimons-is-stepping-down-as-green-party-leaderand-the-fix-is-inbut-will-russel-norman-be-able-to-pay-his-billiou/
phil(whoar.co.nz
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Oh great another pollie on a drawn out road to retirement. Great we have a long list of retirees waiting for God and ruling our country.
I mean, Clark, Cullen Fitz whatsit, Mallard, and who knows whoever else.
Why can’t they just quit while they are ahead.
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:26 pm
and just cos’ turei ‘got her puppies out in public’..when she was a law student..
(i mean..who didn’t/hasn’t..?..)
..that dosen’t really make her a ‘radical’..does it..?
..and her performance to date..
..as the green party spokesperson on cannabis law reform..
..was underwhelming in the extreme..
..and more ‘timid’…
..’than radical…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
“Her lack of parliamentary experience could count against her.”
and Russell Normans parliamentary experience was…….?
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I say Greens should vote for the Singing Defective.
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Philu – have you ever heard of tinyurl? If not I suggest you have a look.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Brian Smaller “Philu – have you ever heard of tinyurl? If not I suggest you have a look.”
Whilst I agree that tinyurl would be an improvement to the current situation, ideally Philu should be encouraged to stop linkwhoring altogether.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Phool needs 12 of the best for continual violation of the full stop.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm
this is great news. the Greens will have to look outside of the current MP’s.
the decision over the next leader will be a sexist one right? No Males need apply? is that legal?
Delahunty would be the best choice. She would ace the debates
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
phil is a Green. He enjoys continual violation.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
“Catherine Delahunty, Jeanette Fitzsimons, Metira Turei, Sue Bradford”
JT said; “Where else in the world do Amazons rule?” MMP has a lot to answer for!
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:03 pm
The chief nutter to be replaced for an even more deranged MP? I don’t see any cause for celebration.
The saving grace and hope is Turei will continue making those ridiculous statemes she’s known for and that will disappoint more and more of the Luddites’ supporters.
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Jeanette Fitzsimons is one of the most dangerous Greens in NZ.
She is pleasant, calm, articulate, presentable, knowledgable, charming, slim, respected.
I despise the greens but not her. You would have to be soulless….. or D4J.
In other words she is one of the greatest PR jobs in parliament rivalling even Rodney Hide.
The Greens will never be able to replace her.
Sadly and with ironic angst, we can rejoice that another of the left’s irreplaceable icons is leaving and the contemptuous Greens won’t be able to sugar coat their drivel and communist PC propaganda crap.
It would take a veritable ambassatorial genius with the charm of Barack Obama and the overt intellgence of Stephen Hawkings to equal this gracious threat to democracy.
Can’t be done.
Good bye Jeanette.
You seemed like such a damned fine human being. Sadly, I just can’t be that fully persuaded.
But good luck in your future endeavours. You deserve a good send off.
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Turei was an anarchist? I thought she used to be a corporate lawyer. Aren’t the two pretty much diametrically opposed? Or do anarchists realise they need a well paying corporate job in order to afford plasma televisions and 4WDs?
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Well said Wiki
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Hey big blouse don’t you mean well said hinamanu,,
You are soooooooooo dumb you are laughable. Coward of the County.
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Take deep breaths D4J, it helps calm you down.
You might want to be a bit careful dishing out all these threats, one day somebody less peace loving than I might take you up on it.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
“…and she is not from the environmental wing of the party.”
I would like to nominate that sentence for Understatement of the Year.
Why is Sue Kedgely not standing? She is much more presentable and acceptable than Sue Bradford.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
>>Why is Sue Kedgely not standing?
Yeah, from the Greenies point of view that would make most sense and I am sure they know it.
Which like most here I hope to hell they don’t do then.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Where’s that Nandos man
personally I think he’s been disillusioned.
Think he’s salvagable. But the q is for who?
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Please be Sue Bradford. She will have a no prisons policy. 5mins of time out for murder!
February 23rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Isn’t Metiria Turei the MP who believes Maori have more in common with Islamic immigrants than pakeha New Zealanders?
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Yep, Turei has said some pretty crazy things in her short political career.
My money is on Catherine Delahunty. Oh please make her co-leader. The opposition choir is looking a little bare.
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I assume that by “My money is on Catherine Delahunty” you mean quite the opposite?