Rod Donald

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Rod Donald (10 October 1957 - 6 November 2005), was a New Zealand politician who co-led the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand along with Jeanette Fitzsimons.

He also served as the Green Party spokesperson on Buy Kiwi Made, Commerce, Electoral Reform, Finance and Revenue, Land Information, Regional Development and Small Business, Superannuation, Sustainable Economics, State Services, Statistics, Tourism, Trade, and Waste.

He lived in Christchurch, New Zealand with his partner Nicola Shirlaw and three daughters Holly, Emma and Zoe.

Donald held Values Party membership from 1974 to 1979. The voters first elected him to parliament in the 1996 election as an Alliance List MP.

After the Green Party left the Alliance to stand alone at the 1999 election he won election at number two on the Greens' party list. He retained his seat in the 2002 and 2005 elections.

For many years Donald had a special interest in electoral reform. From 1989 to 1993 he served as spokesperson for the Electoral Reform Coalition, the campaign that led to the introduction of MMP. More recently he played a major part in getting legislation passed to allow STV voting in local body elections in New Zealand.

On 6 November 2005, the day before he was to be sworn in for his fourth term in Parliament, he died suddenly from unknown causes shortly after midnight at his Christchurch home. An autopsy ruled out a heart attack. Further tests are being carried out to establish the cause of death. He was 48 years old.

[edit]