What I heard from Jeanette Fitsimons yesterday confirmed my fear that they are dishonouring Rod Donald by their stance on this bill. As I heard her, freedom of speech and political association and action is subordinate to the class war.

He strongly favoured government funding of political parties. He was concerned about the possibility that moneyed conspiracies could buy elections. It is not established by research, but I accept the possibility, and therefore do not oppose the reassurance of law that requires parties to disclose major donations.

But he was a student of constitutional history. I wrote my first Select Committee minority report on  the Waka Hopping Bill, opposing it on Burkean grounds. I then found that Rod Donald agreed with almost every word, so we made it our joint report.

We sat together on the MMP Review committee, and collaborated to try to get the others to make it more than a ritual.

Sure – he shared the Green commitment to socialism above greenery and the environment, but I think he would be insisting now that this Bill go out for fresh submissions.