Green’s boss ‘distressed’ to lose Kennedy
The Green Party MP who threw his party into disarray by resigning this week came to Parliament late in life, despite being part of a modest political dynasty.
Kennedy Graham resigned along with David Clendon on Monday, just weeks ahead of the election, in protest at co-leader Metiria Turei’s initial refusal to step down over her revelations she lied to obtain a benefit.
Turei resigned as co-leader late yesterday and will retire at the election.
The white haired Graham was in his late 50s when he first thought to turn his hand to politics. He was sitting in the UN headquarters in New York City in January 2005 when he decided to return to his homeland and join the Green Party.
It was a decision that ran counter to his family history. His elder brother, Sir Douglas Graham, was a former National Cabinet minister who left politics in 1999 after 15 years. Even further back, his great-grandfather was 19th Century Auckland MP Robert Graham.
It was a decision that ran counter to his life as a diplomat and academic. He spent 17 years as a diplomat for the Foreign Ministry in the 1980s and 90s, helping negotiate the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone. He lived in New York from 1989 to 1995, working for non-profit organisations and think tanks. He lived in Battery Park, just a few blocks from the World Trade Center.
His wife was at home when a huge bomb went off in the basement of the World Trade Center in 1993.
Later, Graham worked for the United Nations around the world.
He returned to New York for a visit a few months after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. He found his former riverside apartment block and spoke to his old doorman.
When the World Trade Center collapsed, his doorman ran out the back of the building, jumped into the Hudson River and swam for New Jersey. He was later rescued by the Coast Guard.
After his New York revelation in 2005, Graham moved to Christchurch and took up a role as a research fellow at the University of Canterbury’s School of Law. He ran for the Green Party in the Ilam electorate against incumbent Gerry Brownlee in 2008, despite the fact he was born and raised in Auckland.
He was never going to unseat Brownlee, but he was ninth on the Green Party’s list. Once special votes were counted, the Greens had enough of a share of the vote to put Graham in Parliament.
At the time, his elder brother doubted his sibling would find politics interesting and thought he was too idealistic.
‘‘I think he would get sick of it in about 10 minutes,’’ he said.
‘‘I think the Otago Drainage Amendment Bill would probably bore him witless.’’
Graham said on the campaign trail his late arrival to politics was because ‘‘times are getting more grim’’.
‘‘It certainly isn’t a last-minute grab for power.
‘‘It’s a conviction and a gathering belief that times are getting more grim for all of us. If we don’t play our part, we have a personal liability and almost criminal negligence when we turn around and look at our grandchildren.
‘‘That’s what’s driven me into it.’’
In his maiden speech, Graham dedicated his political career to his uncle, who died in World War Two.
Once in Parliament, Kennedy campaigned for climate change action.
In 2015, he formed a cross-party group of MPs which commissioned a report on reducing carbon emissions in New Zealand.
After his resignation, Greens co-leader, now leader, James Shaw said Graham was a world leader on climate change.
‘‘I’m extremely distressed to lose Kennedy, I don’t think that anybody else in New zealand has done as much as he has to build cross party consensus and change the conversation about climate change in New Zealand.’’
‘‘I am very upset to lose him.’’