Elizabeth Kerekere valedictory statement

Elizabeth Kerekere’s valedictory statement in Parliament on 16 August 2023 is both a personal reflection and a political reckoning. She situates her departure within the wider story of service, activism, and community transformation. Speaking as a lesbian, Māori woman, and takatāpui leader, she framed her time in Parliament as a continuation of decades of mahi in youth development, rainbow advocacy, health and wellbeing, and violence prevention.

From the outset, she mixed humour with gravity, recalling anecdotes such as being told her purple sequin jacket stretched the limits of business attire. She described her parliamentary journey as feeling at times like “Survivor” rather than a “heartwarming two-part series,” highlighting the betrayals and political manoeuvring that contributed to her exit. Yet, she insisted it was ultimately a story of triumph: few ever get the chance to serve as MPs, and she valued that privilege deeply.

Kerekere highlighted her achievements within the Green Party and as an independent MP. She took pride in being part of the most diverse Green caucus to date and in helping Parliament become one of the proudest in the world with multiple rainbow MPs. She underscored her advocacy for future trans, non-binary, and intersex representation, following in the footsteps of trailblazers such as Georgina Beyer.

Her legislative and political contributions were significant. She championed the banning of conversion therapy, leading a record-breaking petition that gathered 150,000 signatures in a week. She supported reforms to birth certificate laws, ensuring greater dignity and rights for trans, non-binary, and intersex people. She was especially proud of embedding the word “takatāpui” in legislation for the first time. She also introduced the Human Rights (Prohibition of Discrimination on Grounds of Gender Identity and Expression, and Variations of Sex Characteristics) Amendment Bill, a landmark effort to enshrine protections for rainbow communities in law.

Beyond rainbow issues, Kerekere foregrounded her leadership in kaupapa Māori. She chaired Te Āka, the Māori and Pasifika caucus of the Greens, and supported iwi and hapū campaigns, including the successful renaming of Awa Rohe in Hawke’s Bay. She described her office’s close relationships with community leaders, emphasising the value of using parliamentary platforms to amplify grassroots struggles.

Her speech also addressed the painful rupture with Green Party leadership. She rejected allegations against her, stating that no formal complaints had ever been lodged despite claims to the contrary. She described the episode as a “failure of leadership” and offered lessons on how to be a good leader: act quickly on staff concerns, address racism and discrimination, avoid vilification without facts, and uphold non-violence. While acknowledging the hurt, she reaffirmed her commitment to Green values and kaupapa, thanking her wife, staff, and many Green members who remained her allies.

She reflected warmly on collegial experiences across Parliament, particularly in select committees, which she considered the spaces where real lawmaking took place. She valued her role in the Health Select Committee, her participation in international parliamentary friendship groups, and her co-chairing of the Parliamentary Art Committee, which achieved greater representation of women and Māori artists in collections.

Kerekere closed with characteristic energy and vision. She promised to return to community work, research, and advocacy, especially ensuring that government initiatives deliver for Māori, Pacific peoples, rainbow communities, disabled people, and those in rural areas. As an independent MP, she aimed to “go out in style” and invited colleagues to celebrate with food, music, and dancing. She ended with a rhetorical flourish: “Why do we get up in the morning, if not to change the world?”—affirming her lifelong dedication to justice, hope, and transformation.

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Elizabeth Kerekere

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