Donald changed Parliament, funeral told

Green Party MPs Jeanette Fitzsimons and Keith Locke help carry Rod Donald's coffin after the service. Picture / Christchurch Star

Rod Donald changed the face of Parliament in his life and through his death, Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons told his funeral today in Christchurch.

Mr Donald, 48, died suddenly on Sunday, opening a vast public outpouring of grief over his passing.

His farewell this morning was as close to a state funeral as could be possible, without actually being one.

Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of Christchurch as his body was taken by bus to the Cathedral.

Even the mighty Christchurch Cathedral could not cope with the numbers who wanted to farewell the environmental crusader touted as one of life's truly nice guys.

Those who could not get inside stood shoulder-to-shoulder outside and listened to the service on loud speakers.

"We can truly say of Rod that he changed Parliament," Ms Fitzsimons told the congregation of friends, environmentalists and fellow politicians who packed the Cathedral.

"He changed it from a place for the elite to a place much more representative of the people."

Since the implementation of MMP, the voting system championed by Mr Donald, there were "more women, more Maori, more people of different ethnic origins, of different sexuality, different beliefs and different hair", she said.

"He also changed Parliament this week as it became a place of respect of mourning, even of aroha as we farewelled him.

"I hope some of that civilised behaviour may continue."

She quoted Mr Donald as saying: "We didn't come to Parliament to eat our lunch."

"No, he came to change the world, to care for the planet and to seek justice for its people.

"I will miss my political other half, his energy, his strategic thinking, his generous spirit, his total commitment to the Greens, more than I can ever say."

Mr Donald's casket was brought to the cathedral with his family on a bus accompanied by a large group of cyclists who met the bus at the MP's electorate office in Bedford Row.

The bus signified Mr Donald's passionate support for public transport facilities and the cyclists marked his own favourite form of personal transport.

Long-time friend and fellow political activist Christine Dann, who worked with Mr Donald on his fair trading campaign and managed his Banks Peninsula campaign at the last election, remembered him for his generosity and tireless spirit.

They had met when Mr Donald was "16 going on 17" at St Andrew's College and he'd wanted to talk politics with someone who was already active.

Mr Donald, she said, never had time to tidy his room and "lived and worked in a perpetual mess that never bothered or fazed you the way it troubled those of us who had to take care of the paper work".

"We put up with it because you were always such fun to work with, always so positive and encouraging, and anyway -- you were so pushy, what choice did we have?"

Following the funeral, a private burial was being held.

- NZPA