Is Jeanette the first to go voluntarily?

Matt McCarten wrote in the HoS on the seamless transfer of power within the Greens, and it got me thinking. Jeanette may be the first parliamentary party leader to resign voluntarily in recent times?

By resigning voluntarily, I mean could have chosen to stay on and led the party into the next election if they wanted to. Was not under pressure from colleagues, was not ill etc.

Let us look at all the parties.

National – Brash pushed out, English rolled, Shipley lost he numbers, Bolger rolled, McLay rolled, Muldoon rolled, Marshall rolled, Holyoake pushed out, Holland forced out through sickness, Hamilton rolled.

Labour – Clark lost election and would not have survived to 2011, Moore rolled, Palmer pushed out, Lange forced out, Rowling rolled, Kirk died, Nordmeyer rolled, Nash forced by sickness and Nordmeyer, Fraser died, Savage died, Holland died.

ACT – Prebble given a good push by Hide

Greens – Donald died

Maori Party – still with initial leaders

Progressive – Anderton “eternal leader”

NZ First – Peters “great leader”

United Future – Sutherland Matthewson lost seat

So it is only when you look at our history do you realise that Jeanette may be unique in choosing to retire from a leadership position totally on her own timetable, and not under pressure from colleagues. A rare achievement indeed.