Green MP Benjamin Doyle resigns from Parliament

Green Party list MP Benjamin Doyle has announced they will be resigning from Parliament.

In a statement released at 4pm today, Doyle — who uses they/them pronouns — said they had been on a "journey of healing" in recent months.

"During this time, I have come to the realisation that I cannot complete this journey while in Parliament.

Doyle said the decision followed a period of intense personal pressure.

"After having baseless and violent accusations thrown at me, and an onslaught of hate, vitriol and threats of real-world violence directed at me and my whānau, I have decided to move on from Parliament.

They said their child had asked them to step away from politics.

"Whānau is the most precious thing in the world. From the start, I have always said my child is my priority. My tamaiti asked me to leave Parliament, and I am leaving for them and for my own wellbeing."

Doyle said they would leave Parliament "with pride".

"It was a pleasure and a privilege to represent and work for the communities that carried me here. I am so grateful for their trust and guidance."

They said they would be leaving Parliament, "not disappearing".

"I will continue to fight for people and planet, just not from inside this House."

Doyle's last day as an MP would be October 3. They were seeking to make their valedictory speech on September 18.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson reshared Doyle's statement in a post to her Instagram story.

"Nothing but my aroha and appreciation for you," she wrote.

In a later written statement, Davidson added: "We support Benjamin prioritising their wellbeing and are grateful for the contribution they have made in Parliament.

"As a country, we clearly have work to do in making politics a place that is safe for everyone."

Other co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick also posted Doyle's statement to her Instagram.

"An important message from one of the strongest people who I've ever met and had the privilege of working with," Swarbrick stated.

Doyle came under intense scrutiny earlier this year for their social media history after New Zealand First leader Winston Peters drew attention to "language and innuendo" on a private Instagram account operated by Doyle.

Screenshots from the account, with the handle Biblebeltbussy, showed they had used the phrase "bussy galore" to caption a slideshow of at least 10 photos, one of which included their child sitting on their lap.

The word "bussy" was a slang term used by some members of the rainbow community, commonly understood to refer to a male anus. The post had been made in October 2023 — a year before Doyle become a member of Parliament.

Peters raised the prospect of a police investigation into Doyle regarding their posts, saying "there is enough in those posts for the police to make an inquiry as to whether they breach the law or not".

Speaking to media in April after spending a week away from Parliament, Doyle said the posts never had a sexual meaning and that they did not believe they had done anything wrong, describing the allegations as "baseless and cruel".

However, they did admit they were "politically naive" in not deleting the private Instagram account prior to entering Parliament last year — something the Green Party had advised they do.

They explained what they intended it to mean, describing the term as a "pop culture pun".

"'Bussy galore' is an in-joke and a nickname. The translation here is 'me at large living my best life'.

"I recognise that Bussy is not a term all rainbow people use, or like, but it is one that is commonly understood and appreciated by my friends and community ... it's kind of a nickname or persona for me, much like, I dunno, a character like Fred Dagg ... Bussy Galore is a wordplay of the character from the James Bond novel Goldfinger, Pussy Galore."

Doyle became the first non-binary Member of Parliament in October 2024, themselves replacing Darleen Tana after she had been booted from Parliament under the "waka-jumping" law.

In their maiden speech, Doyle paid tribute to the transgender community and spoke about their identity.

"If my pronouns confuse you, here's a tip: just use my name. If the way I dress causes you concern, I say to you: be more concerned by the contents of my mind than that of my wardrobe."

They had earlier stood as the Green Party candidate for the Hamilton West electorate, coming in third behind National's Tama Potaka and Labour's Myra Williamson.

They were the party's spokesperson for ACC, Māori and Early Childhood, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Internal Affairs, and Takatāpui and Rainbow Communities. Doyle was ranked 18th on the Green Party list.

Next on the party list was Mike Davidson, who stood for Ilam in the 2023 general election.

Davidson had served for six years as a Christchurch City Councillor.