Former Speaker praised by MPs, including fellow Catholics

After 30 years in Parliament, Mr Brownlee is set to depart after no National Party list-only members were returned.

Labour’s Damien O’Connor, who entered Parliament in 1993, attended St Bede’s College a few years after Mr Brownlee. The pair played in the parliamentary rugby team together and, this year, Mr Brownlee led a cross-party delegation, including Mr O’Connor, that went to China to discuss trade.

“Gerry, early on, I guess, was a bit of a henchman for the National Party, in some more brutal times,” said Mr O’Connor, who lost the Waitaki electorate to National’s Miles Anderson but makes it back into Parliament on Labour’s list.

“He’s mellowed and learned, and become a statesman for their party, and for that I’ve always respected him.”

On a personal note, Mr O’Connor spent several years in Christchurch at the turn of the century because his daughter had health problems. “I’ll never forget that kindness and generosity that both he and his wife and family gave towards me and my family.”

Parliament should consider giving outgoing MPs whose careers are cut short by an election the chance to make a valedictory speech, Mr O’Connor added.

Megan Woods, a Labour List MP who attended Catholic Cathedral College in Christchurch, worked opposite Mr Brownlee when he was Canterbury earthquake recovery minister as the John Key-led Government made significant decisions about post-quake Christchurch.

“The job he had to do was a difficult one and he made the decisions that he thought were best at the time. Not everybody agreed with those, including myself, often, but I think Gerry did have what he thought was the best interests of Christchurch at the fore.”

Their relationship mellowed over the years, she said.

Although he was viewed as a combative politician, he could be incredibly kind, she said. “The private Gerry was sometimes very different from the public face Gerry presented, and I had experience of him being very kind when life events happened in my family.”

Former Prime Minister Sir Bill English praised Mr Brownlee’s mix of experience, political judgement and good humour.

Around the Cabinet table, Mr Brownlee was the “voice of middle New Zealand”, Mr English said – “and when he believed it was required, a pretty blunt voice”.

Reflecting on not returning to Parliament, Mr Brownlee said, “I’ve had a very significant opportunity to participate in politics, and that’s a great privilege to have done that. So I’m not reflecting on this with any particular sadness, I just think it’s what happens. If you put your name on the ballot you’ve got to accept what the voters deliver, and I think that’s one of the strengths of our democracy. So, it’s just onto something different.”

Mr Brownlee named the late Jim Anderton, a fellow Catholic, as one of the best Opposition MPs.   

FULL STORY

Ousted Brownlee warns of ‘kids playing with matches’ (By David Williams/Newsroom)

Megan Woods (Wikipedia)