Kedgley Sue: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
Kedgley Sue: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
[Volume:628;Page:79] 
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
: 
 I would like to extend my gratitude as Sue Bradford and others have to every member of this House and in particular to the Maori Party for extending its support and condolences at this terrible time for us. It has meant so much. 
A few years ago Rod and I were being lobbied by a group of officials from a large corporation. At one point in the meeting I felt that they were trying to steer us into politically tricky territory so I gave Rod a gentle kick under the table. He quickly got the message we changed tack and the rest of the meeting proceeded smoothly. It was only after the meeting that it occurred to me: I wonder how many back-bench MPs in this Parliament could kick their leader under the table during a meeting certainly without being kicked out of their caucus? But that symbolised the sort of leader he was and the sort of relationship we had with him. 
He was as others have said utterly unpretentious. He treated us as his equals and as his friends. As others have mentioned he would ring us up with suggestions and ideas and with words of encouragement and I wonder too how many MPs in Parliament would be genuinely delighted as I certainly always was to get calls from their leader at all times of the day and night. I wonder too how many MPs could say that their leader was not only a mentor an inspiration and a cheerleader—for Rod was all of those things to us—but also someone whom we deeply deeply respected and loved. 
Rod was tremendous fun to be around. He was always bubbling with great infectious enthusiasm and he was so refreshing in his approach in his dress in his politics—in everything that he did. In some ways he seemed to be about a generation and a half younger than most other parliamentarians. A few weeks ago a large group of suited officials who came to brief Rod at about 7 o’clock at night may have been startled when he wandered into the briefing wearing the clothes that he always wore when he was working in his office at Parliament at night: running shorts and shoes and a slightly tatty T-shirt. But that was Rod. 
Along with his refreshing youthfulness as others have pointed out he was an incredibly effective politician and he was as comfortable with horse-trading and buttering up the media—which he was so brilliant at—as he was with taking a stand on his principles. And he worked incredibly hard—far too hard—but somehow he always made time for the little things in life whether it was cooking ironing his own shirts or ringing his family and friends not just the media for a chat. 
Meetings in his electorate were always held in his home and he baked his famous organic spiced apple cake for each meeting. This is the same cake that Ruth Dyson bought the other day. Actually this cake became somewhat famous. Rod would take all the ingredients along to a public meeting and make the cake at the meeting while reading little homilies about all the ingredients. One was 125 grams of melted butter with the comment: “One of New Zealand’s chief commodities our butter is valued worldwide because it is seen to be a product of animals raised in a clean green environment. We should capitalise on that image and push for a completely organic nation by 2020. Instead free trade means that we actually imported $1.6 million worth of butter last year.” He finished that by saying: “Share your cake with your friends your family and your neighbours. There is no point in making it if a few people get fat and the rest are forced to fight over the crumbs.” It is up on our website. 
When Rod picked me up from the airport at 10 o’clock on a Sunday morning during the campaign I guess a month or so ago he had already been up since 7 o’clock that morning. He had baked a quiche for the lunch that we were about to have at the meeting we were going to and also he had painted the spare room that Nicola had asked him to do. 
But I think the silent vigil on the steps of Parliament with Rod holding the Tibetan flag to protest the visit of one of China’s leading politicians probably best encapsulates his greatest qualities: his boldness his courage and the way he always stood up for what he believed in. It was an incredibly impulsive act. Rod found himself unexpectedly in Wellington when a meeting in another town was cancelled. Then he remembered that a senior Chinese politician was visiting Parliament that day. We were having an early morning meeting and someone said that the Friends of Tibet were planning a little demonstration at Parliament. I said that I had a Tibetan flag in my office in Parliament that he could borrow if he wanted to and the rest as they say is history. Rod’s simple brave and potent protest resulted in the leader of the largest nation on earth having to scurry ignominiously into Parliament through a rear entrance. 
An email we got today from a Chinese journalist who lives in New Zealand summed up the impact of this solitary and potent protest: “The image of his standing tall alone bravely against a Chinese delegation in front of the Beehive will be forever in our minds.” Chris Trotter also singled it out in his column: “My abiding memory of this remarkable man—my friend—Rod Donald will be of him standing alone at the foot of the parliamentary steps his face a mixture of sadness and defiance holding up the forbidden Tibetan flag. It was a noble protest and all the more effective for being conducted … by a senior Member of Parliament and party leader dressed proudly and patriotically in his best New Zealand-made suit.” 
My thoughts are with Nicola Zoe Holly Emma Rod’s parents and of course all of our grieving Green Party. Rod’s children and Nicola sacrificed so much for this wonderful man whom I keep expecting to turn round from his seat here with a great big grin on his face. Rod did not believe in the afterlife but as Margaret Wilson said today when she came over with a group of Labour MPs to pay tribute to him in our office which we so greatly appreciated: “Those of us from the Celtic tradition know that he is still with us.” I can feel his bright spirit in the Chamber today.