KEY POINTS:
Guy Fawkes' Day is coming up but the gloss has been taken off it for Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.
The following day, November 6, marks a year since the man she described as her "political other half" died suddenly.
Rod Donald, who shared the leadership role with
Ms Fitzsimons for more than 10 years, died at the age of 48 of viral myocarditis, leaving behind his partner Nicola Shirlaw and their three daughters.
"The first anniversary always brings back all sorts of memories and the thing I'm noticing is that the build-up to Guy Fawkes' night and I don't want to have anything to do with Guy Fawkes' Day this year because that was the night that he died," Ms Fitzsimons said.
"We miss his enormous energy and vitality around the office, the way that he used to take an overview of what every MP was doing and ring us all up at odd times of the day or night."
While Mr Donald is no longer around, his legacy is, for instance in the Buy Kiwi Made campaign.
That pet project of Mr Donald's was taken over by Green MP Sue Bradford, not necessarily the easiest task "because Rod kept everything in his head".
"We knew he had this agreement on the Buy Kiwi Made programme, we knew he'd met the minister and officials but he hadn't written anything down," Ms Fitzsimons said.
"Much of his big idea died with him but we've re-created it and we're confident we've got something that he'd have been really pleased with."
The party secured $11.5 million in funding for a three-year Buy Kiwi Made campaign to promote products manufactured or processed in New Zealand.
Labour tried to divert it into a campaign that included firms that manufactured overseas in countries such as China.
"In a way, what saved us was the co-operation agreement [with Labour] was very explicit."
On Wednesday next week - the closest date to the anniversary of Mr Donald's death that could be secured - there will be an event at Parliament involving New Zealand manufacturers showing what they do best.
There will also be a function for Green Party members afterwards.
The following weekend Ms Fitzsimons will spend with Ms Shirlaw and the girls, and will visit Mr Donald's grave.
Soon, a kowhai tree will be planted in Parliament's grounds in memory of Mr Donald.
Filling the co-leader's shoes now is Russel Norman.
Ms Fitzsimons said she still felt Mr Donald's presence around Parliament.
"He's left his stamp on so much here. He and I were the first Greens elected to the New Zealand Parliament and so there's a lot here that reminds one of him."
- NZPA
