New Zealand Greens MP dies after charity run

He received medical treatment on the scene at Auckland's Britomart with screens erected to shield him from public view.

Greens co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson confirmed he was unable to be revived shortly after TVNZ reported his death.

"We are absolutely devastated. A beautiful family has lost a dedicated father, husband, and community leader," they said in a statement.

"Aotearoa and the Green Party have lost one of the kindest, most dedicated champions of fairness and equality."

The Greens thanked the on-site medical team who "immediately went to Efeso's aid and did everything they could to revive him".

Mr Collins, a south Auckland man of Samoan and Tokelauan heritage, was new to parliament but no stranger to Kiwi politics.

He served on Auckland council from 2016 until 2022, when he was a high-profile Labour-backed candidate for the mayoralty.

He lost that race and left Labour, winning Greens preselection and entering parliament in 2023.

In his maiden speech last week, Mr Collins addressed the house with "an indescribable feeling" as the son of Samoan migrants.

"There's a saying in Samoan: 'E le tu fa'amauga se tagata'  - no one stands alone, no one succeeds alone - and, for me, no one suffers alone," he said.

He dedicated his speech to alleviating poverty, quoting James Baldwin, Paolo Freire and the Bible.

"If I was to inspire anyone by getting to this House and my work over the next three years, I hope that it's the square pegs, the misfits, the forgotten, the unloved, the invisible," he said.

Mr Shaw gave a press conference later on Wednesday, visibly shaken and emotional by the loss.

"My experience of him was that he truly was the most beautiful man with an orientation of love," he said.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Carmel Sepoluni, also an Aucklander of Samoan descent, offered condolences.

"Efeso was a good man, always friendly and kind, and a true champion and advocate for his Samoan and South Auckland communities," Mr Luxon said.

I am truly shocked and saddened at the news of Efeso Collins' sudden death. — Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) Efeso was a good man, always friendly and kind, and a true champion and advocate for his Samoan and South Auckland communities. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go to his family, his community and…February 20, 2024

Mr Hipkins said "given the opportunity he would have made an enormous contribution (in parliament) but we should not let that detract from the fact he had already made an enormous contribution to his communities".

As a mark of respect, parliament has been cancelled for the week, with leaders to make short statements at 2pm before abandoning business until Tuesday.

Mr Collins was the first sitting New Zealand MP to die since Labour's Parekura Horomia passed in 2013, and the first to do so during a parliamentary sitting for half a century.

He will be replaced in parliament by the next person on the Greens list, Lawrence Xu-Nan.

Mr Collins is survived by his wife and two daughters.