Green MP Benjamin Doyle — who uses they/them pronouns – has announced that they are stepping down from Parliament, citing concerns for their safety and well-being following months of death threats and sustained abuse.
According to RNZ, the Green Party confirmed Doyle’s resignation, effective October 3, in a statement on Friday afternoon.
RNZ quoted, “Over the past months, I have been on a journey of healing. During this time, I have come to the realisation that I cannot complete this journey while in Parliament,” Doyle said.
“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,” RNZ quoted
Doyle said their child also influenced this decision. “My tamati asked me to leave Parliament, and I am leaving for them and for my own wellbeing,” reported RNZ.
They stressed they would continue their advocacy outside politics: “I am leaving Parliament, I am not disappearing. I will continue to fight for people and planet, just not from inside this House,” RNZ reported.
Doyle reflected that their experience showed New Zealand still had work to do to make politics inclusive. “I hope this experience is something that we can all learn and grow from,” RNZ quoted.
In a separate statement, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said the party respected Doyle’s decision. “As a country, we clearly have work to do in making politics a place that is safe for everyone,” Davidson said, according to RNZ.
Doyle, a former Hamilton high school teacher, entered Parliament in October 2024 after the ousting of Darleen Tana, becoming New Zealand’s first openly non-binary MP.
Earlier this year, NZ First leader Winston Peters drew attention to Doyle’s private Instagram account, highlighting a post in which Doyle used the phrase “bussy galore” alongside photos that included their child. Doyle said the phrase was a joke and a nickname for themself.
The controversy triggered a wave of transphobic hate, threats, and abuse directed at Doyle, prompting police involvement. At the time, Doyle vowed not to be forced out by hate, saying: “I refuse to be disappeared by hate,” RNZ reported.
Davidson later accused Peters of “fanning the flames of hatred towards the rainbow community,” while Peters dismissed the Greens’ defence as a “flimsy excuse of victimhood.”
Doyle will be replaced in Parliament by former Christchurch city councillor Mike Davidson, the next candidate on the Greens’ list. He will be the fifth Green MP to enter mid-term since the last election.
The Greens have faced a string of setbacks in recent months, including the resignation of Golriz Ghahraman after shoplifting convictions, Tana’s ejection from Parliament over migrant exploitation allegations, and the sudden death of Fa’anānā Efeso Collins in February. Davidson herself has been undergoing treatment following a breast cancer diagnosis.
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