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Benjamin DoyleMP
Doyle in 2023
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Green party list
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 October 2024 (2024-10-22)
Preceded by	Darleen Tana
Personal details
Born	Benjamin Cody Doyle 1991 or 1992 (age 32–33)
Political party	Green
Children	1

Benjamin Cody Doyle (born 1991 or 1992) is a New Zealand politician, representing the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand as a Member of Parliament since replacing Darleen Tana, who was removed in 2024. Doyle became the first non-binary Member of Parliament.

Early and personal life

Doyle was born in 1991 or 1992, and grew up in Whangaparāoa. They are of Ngāpuhi, Scottish, and Irish descent. They lived in Auckland through high school and university.

Doyle was a teacher at Auckland Girls' Grammar School and Manurewa High School. Later, they held positions of head of Māori at Melville High School and head of social sciences at Rototuna Senior High School. They then worked as a kaupapa Māori researcher and facilitator at the University of Waikato, and as a community organiser for artists and LGBTQIA+ communities. Until becoming an MP, they worked at Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.

Doyle identifies as non-binary, takatāpui and whaikaha (disabled). As of 2024, they live in Hamilton with their partner and child.

Political career

Doyle spoke against allowing the anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (known as Posie Parker) into New Zealand, saying "Posie Parker should not be allowed into Aotearoa. In letting her enter, the minister has chosen to allow hateful anti-trans rhetoric into Aotearoa. That is unacceptable."

Doyle contested the Hamilton West electorate in the 2023 election. They were 18th on the Green Party list. Doyle came third in the Hamilton West electorate with 3,230 votes. The Green Party won 12 list seats in the election, and therefore Doyle was not elected at 18th on the party list.

Following the removal of Darleen Tana as a List MP in October 2024, Doyle was declared elected on 22 October 2024. They said about Tana's removal:

I made a really intentional decision about not getting involved in that because I was aware of the fact that I was implicated in it. But if I was seen to be involved in that process, it would be perceived as biased and it would be perceived as having motivations.

Doyle is the first non-binary member of New Zealand's parliament.

References

1. ^ Temel, Kristina (22 October 2024). "Declaration by Electoral Commission That Benjamin Cody Doyle is Elected a Member of Parliament". New Zealand Gazette. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
2. ^ "Benjamin Doyle candidate profile". Green Party. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024.
3. Lardies, Gabi (23 October 2024). "Who is Benjamin Doyle, the soon-to-be Green MP replacing Darleen Tana?". The Spinoff. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
4. "Benjamin Doyle profile". University of Waikato.
5. ^ Lines-MacKenzie, Jo (4 November 2024). "Meet Parliament's first non-binary member". Waikato Times. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
6. ^ Allen, Benji (24 March 2023). "New Hamilton West Candidate Condemns Posie Parker". Waikato Independent.
7. ^ "Green Party Announces Benjamin Doyle As Candidate For Hamilton West". Scoop New Zealand. 24 March 2023.
8. "Who is Benjamin Doyle, who the Greens want to replace Darleen Tana?". Radio New Zealand. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
9. Te Wake, Whatitiri; Gunson, Isaac (25 October 2024). "Exclusive: Meet Benjamin Doyle, the Green Party's newest MP". Te Ao Māori News.
10. "Green Party candidate list includes nine Māori". Te Ao News. 20 May 2023.
11. "Hamilton West - Official Result". Retrieved 18 November 2024.
12. "2023 General Election - Official Result". Retrieved 18 November 2024.

• 1990s births
• Living people
• 21st-century New Zealand politicians
• Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
• Unsuccessful candidates in the 2023 New Zealand general election
• Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand MPs
• New Zealand list MPs
• Takatāpui
• Non-binary politicians
• LGBTQ members of the Parliament of New Zealand
• New Zealand politicians with disabilities
• Ngāpuhi people
• Māori MPs