Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is set to return to work eight months after a breast cancer diagnosis, with her first public outing at Waitangi.
"I'm alive, I am well, and I'm getting better with each day," she told Mata with Mihingarangi Forbes.
Davidson announced her diagnosis in June, surrounded by Green MPs at Parliament.
It has meant she watched events like the hīkoi, one of New Zealand's largest ever protests, from the sidelines.
How did that make her feel? "Proud," she said. "It has united communities in a way we haven't seen in a long time. I felt fomo," she laughed.
The way people had come together reminded her of how the breast cancer community had created safe spaces for people to share their experiences, she said.
It had been hard to leave work, she said. Her colleagues had been a source of support, and it felt hard to put down the tools.
But after her first surgery, she realised she only had room for her health.
"Some of the days have been tough, and then people come through with the support and the aroha."
Photo: RNZ/Samuel Robinson
Davidson said she was unsurprised to learn the Prime Minister would not be attending Waitangi.
The Prime Minister has announced he won't be in attendance at Waitangi - and Davidson said she was not surprised.
"It's just another indicator of him not valuing tangata whenua, and not valuing Te Tiriti," she said.
"We can uphold Te Tiriti without the Prime Minister - we have been doing that for generations now. Bit of respect would have been more than warranted, but our work to fight for Te Tiriti justice will continue regardless."
Photo: RNZ/Samuel Robinson
She has missed the latter part of a turbulent 18 months for the Greens - the death of Efeso Collins, the departures of Elizabeth Kerekere and Darleen Tana, accusations of poor conduct thrown at Julie Anne Genter and shoplifting charges at Golriz Gharahman. What had gone wrong?
It did not come down to just one thing, Davidson told Mata. And "politics is a freaky place".
Through it all, she was proud of how her MPs had continued to do the work.
In the months to come, a change of deputy Prime Minister could see more turbulent times. How did she anticipate Winston Peters stepping down?
"Have we ever seen a happy Winston relinquishing power?" she said in response.
Either way, the Greens would stick to their commitments to people and the planet, she said. "We will be ready for whatever they throw."
Photo: Te Māngai Pāho
Photo: NZ On Air
