Rest in Peace Penny Bright – You never stopped kicking against the Pricks

ByMartyn Bradbury

‘Hard-boiled’ Auckland activist Penny Bright has died in hospital this evening
Penny Bright, the Auckland activist who nearly lost her house after refusing to pay rates for 11 years and whose motto was “open the books”, died on Thursday night. She was 64.

For the past 20 years, the hard-boiled activist and former sheet-metal welder made illegal connections for protesters whose water was cut off, got dragged by security guards from council meetings and harangued mayors, bureaucrats, police and the judiciary. She was arrested more than 40 times.

Bright died in Mercy Hospice on Thursday.

Anyone who has been active in Auckland politics from a grass roots level over the last 3 decades knew and would have be accosted by dear Penny.

Her tenacity, her focus and her unwavering believe that people can hold their political masters accountable inspired as many as it alienated, she never suffered fools and was merciless if she saw you as the enemy.

She was a battler, a fighter and a unique character who we are made lesser with her passing.

All our love from The Daily Blog to her whanau.

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17 Comments

  2. I have been thinking about her yesterday and today !…She must still be around ha ha

    GO Penny in the ether….you will be remembered with LOVE!

    ( btw can we have some pics of Penny in her fighting prime… fighting for liberty and justice…as well as those on her death bed)

  3. Penny’s legacy was to stand up to the establishment and hold it to account, something she did it seems, right up to the time she took her last breath.

    Thank you Penny, you were a good ‘un.

    RIP Penny.

  4. well done Penny

    so many live in timid mediocrity, afraid of their own shadow, or intimidated by the authorities, or what others may think of them, from taking regular direct action

    she set a sterling example of how to actually practise “freedom of speech, assembly and association”!

  6. Penny you were and still are the bright star that outshone all others. You walked where others feared to go and you stood by your principles. Thomas Jefferson said – “In matters of style swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock”. Penny, you are that rock and your memory and legacy will keep that rock in place forever.

    You are free to fly now. All our love to you and your family.

  7. SAD to read this, rest in peace, Penny, others will need to carry on from where you let off, or had to let off.

  8. RIP Penny Bright at least you had the balls to do what many people would like to do, but do not have the will or the kahuna’s to do it.

    I think you had a lot of respect out there from the common people, although people would not admit it publicly, John Banks went slightly up in my estimations by visiting you however you probably thought it was the devil walking through the door.

  9. It is sad to read that Penny died at a relatively young age (64) after being such a champion for justice.

    Sadly, despite her efforts (and the efforts of others) nothing changes significantly for the better.

    For the moment, ‘the empire’ is too strong

  10. if theres a heaven shes protesting at the gates we will miss you penny you were one of the good ones

  11. Met her just the once with a mutual friend, tragically also recently deceased. Hopefully they will be protesting together. Resting in peace, bollocks, stay true to your path Penny.

  12. This really hits me, I met Penny repeatedly, she was a staunch fighter of a kind, and she was so strong, I felt embarassed at times to face her. I respect Penny totally as the most solid fighter for justice in the streets of Auckland, the city is a much poorer with her gone.

    This must be a strong signal for her to be remembered.

    Penny Bright deserves utmost respect by all Aucklanders.

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