Sue Bradford

Template:Short description Template:Use New Zealand English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholderSue Bradford (born 1 July 1952 in Auckland) is a New Zealand activist, academic, and former New Zealand politician who served as a list Member of Parliament representing the Green Party from 1999 to 2009.<ref>Former Members of Parliament, New Zealand</ref>

Bradford is an eco-socialist. In 2019, she penned an op-ed stating her reluctance to vote for the Green Party in the future. She criticised the party from the left in regards to her opinion that the party underwent a centrist direction under the leadership of James Shaw and Marama Davidson. Bradford had previously run for the leadership of the Greens on a left-wing platform, losing to Metiria Turei in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life

Sue Bradford graduated from the University of Auckland in History and Political Studies, and later obtained an MA in Chinese. Furthering her academic education she undertook postgraduate study at the University of Canterbury where she received a diploma in journalism, and a PhD in Public Policy at Auckland University of Technology.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite thesis</ref> The title of her doctoral thesis was: A major left wing think tank in Aotearoa: An impossible dream or a call to action?, and the work was supervised by Marilyn Waring and Judy McGregor.<ref>Template:Cite Q</ref>

Bradford admitted in 2000 she has countless convictions.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Bradford was trespassed from Parliament in 1998.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Member of Parliament

File:SueBradfordGreenMP.jpg

Bradford in the early 2000s

As a member of the Green Party, Bradford first won election to the Parliament as a list MP in the 1999 election. She had joined the Green Party in 1990, and had contested the 1998 Auckland mayoral election as the Green candidate. Before joining the Greens, she worked actively in the NewLabour Party, and served as its vice-president from 1989 to 1990.

Template:As of Bradford was the Green Party spokesperson on ACC, Agriculture, Buy Kiwi-Made, Community and Voluntary Sector, Community Economic Development, Gambling, Housing, Industrial Relations, Internal Affairs, Mental Health, National Library and Archives, Racing, Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Small Business and Social Development.

The New Zealand Herald selected Bradford as Backbencher of the Year for 2000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Bradford has successfully pushed through three member's bills: removing the defence of "reasonable force" when corporally punishing or smacking children; letting mothers in jail keep their babies for longer; and making the adult minimum wage apply to 16- and 17-year-olds. It is considered an achievement for a backbench MP to pass a single member's bill, let alone three.

In 2009 Sue Bradford ran unsuccessfully against Metiria Turei to replace Jeanette Fitzsimons for the co-leadership of the Green Party. On 25 September 2009, Bradford announced her intention to resign as a Member of Parliament in late October, citing her disappointment at the loss and wish to take new directions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bradford regretted not becoming a Cabinet Minister, especially a Minister of Housing and Social Development.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Child discipline bill

In 2005, a parliamentary ballot allowed the discussion of Bradford's member's bill, the Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill 2005. The Bill proposed amending Section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961 to remove the legal defence of "reasonable force" for parents prosecuted for assault on their children. The Bill passed the select committee stage and its second parliamentary reading with a huge majority, and became law after it passed its third reading 113 to 8 on 16 May 2007.<ref>Vote: Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Bill – Third Reading Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Bill occasioned widespread debate largely due its depiction as an "anti-smacking" bill, and a movement led by Family First New Zealand<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> called a citizens initiated referendum on the issue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In one reaction to the Bill, threats were made against Bradford on the "CYFS Watch" website. After the Ministry of Social Development complained about the threats, Google shut down the website.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Further death threats were made against her in August 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After Parliament

Soon after Bradford's announcement of her resignation, Manukau mayor, Len Brown, suggested that she run to be a councillor on the Auckland Council.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bradford said that she would consider the idea but did not run.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

She joined the Mana Party in 2011, and was a losing candidate for the Waitakere seat at the 2011 New Zealand general election.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_5199222">Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2014, Bradford resigned from the Mana Party in response to the formation of an alliance with the Internet Party.<ref name="martin1">Template:Cite news</ref>

Since October 2014 she has been coordinator at Auckland Action Against Poverty.<ref name="LinkedIn">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, on completion of her PhD thesis, she spearheaded the formation of the left wing think tank Economic and Social Research Aotearoa (ESRA).<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2017, journalist Jenny Chamberlain published a biography of Bradford: Constant Radical – The Life and Times of Sue Bradford.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

• Sue Bradford bio (Green Party website)
• Sue Bradford bio (NZ Parliament website)
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• The Holmes Interview: Sue Bradford – a feisty battler. Paul Holmes, The New Zealand Herald, 4 March 2007
• Sue Bradford at The Daily Blog