Labour list MP Louisa Wall has resigned this afternoon after 14 years.
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
First elected in 2008, Wall's resignation will be effective from 1 May.
Wall held the Manurewa seat from 2011 to 2020, and has championed marriage equality, a law for safe zones for women seeking abortions, and recently fought to have the birth mother of Paige Harris recorded on the girl's birth certificate.
In a statement confirming the move, she said it had been an honour to represent and provide a voice in Parliament to those who were often unheard.
"I've focused on giving a voice to communities and the vulnerable. I am proud of the work I've led to make Aotearoa/New Zealand a more inclusive country," she said.
"As an MP my approach has been to identify problems and work to fix them with whoever I can. And that has often meant building wide parliamentary support from all parties in parliament. When you look back at my successful Members Bills one thing that stands out is the cross-section of support I often had to build to get them passed, often forming collaborative alliances."
She said her resignation followed a legal battle in the lead-up to the 2020 election over who would contest the seat for Labour.
She had planned to stand again in the Manurewa electorate in the 2020 election, but the candidate selection was delayed from its original March 2020 date because of a late nomination of Arena Williams and a challenge by a third potential candidate, Ian Dunwoodie. After considering legal action, Wall eventually withdrew her candidacy just a day before the selection.
"I've loved working as a parliamentarian and have enjoyed building relationships with colleagues across the house. Most recently I've thoroughly enjoyed my role as co-chair of the Inter-parliamentary Alliance on China and advocating for human rights," Wall said.
Openly lesbian, she said it had been a privilege to lead the marriage equality law change.
"Not being able to get married to the person you loved unfairly marginalised members of the rainbow community and was unjust," she said.
"As we said at the time the sky wouldn't fall in, and it hasn't. In fact it's funny to look back at all the abuse we endured at the time. I've seen how it's helped to bring down walls of fear and discrimination. It's made a more inclusive and accepting society and that will always bring me a great sense of pride."
She has a track record of doing things her own way, having broken ranks with Labour in speaking out against China last year, saying the country was harvesting organs from political prisoners.
The opposition National party also granted her one of its speaking slots during a debate on mental health.
Wall said she would continue to be involved in the issues she was passionate about including indigenous rights, human rights, equality, the rights of women and LGBTQI+ people.
She is also a former Black Ferns rugby player, having been in the team's first World Cup-winning squad in 1995 and winning Women's Player of the Year in 1997. She was also in the 1989 Silver Ferns team at age 17, and was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wished Wall "all the best with her next steps".
"Louisa has been a hero to many throughout her parliamentary career. Her commitment to human rights and equality has been absolutely unwavering. She has been relentless in her pursuit of human rights for all.
"I know she will keep advocating for justice and does so with the support, aroha and thanks of her Labour family and all she served," Ardern said.
Ardern said while Wall was never made a minister, she still made a significant contribution.
"What Louisa has demonstrated is that has not meant that she hasn't been able to achieve a significant amount - she has."
"She herself, in her own statement has acknowledged this has been a path for her that was set at that time in 2020, but ultimately those are calls for Louisa."
Speaker of the House announced Wall's resignation to Parliament alongside that of Simon Bridges before question time this afternoon.
She is expected to give her valedictory statement on 14 April. Lemauga Lydia Sosene will replace her, as the next candidate on Labour's list.
'Colourful maverick'
Green Party co-leader James Shaw said she would go down in history as a remarkably effective member of Parliament.
"She's got a huge track record of member's bills that got pulled from the ballot and then successfully shepherded through. She's advanced the legislative environment for rainbow communities.
"She's been a fierce advocate for the causes that she has stood for."
ACT leader David Seymour described her as a "colourful maverick".
"The kind of person that every Parliament needs. I've enjoyed working with her on and off and against and for at different times and I wish her all the best for her future.
"I think that Labour has really had trouble with her and I don't understand enough about the Labour Party's internal workings but I think it's a pity that someone who stands up for what she believes in hasn't found a place within Labour's culture."