Susan Jane Kedgley (born 1948) is a New Zealand politician, food campaigner and author. Before entering politics Kedgley worked for the United Nations in New York for 8 years and for a decade as a television reporter, director and producer in New Zealand. Biography Early life and career Kedgley stated she had a sheltered upbringing being given a 'proper' girls upbringing and was a debutante. Along with her twin sister Helen Kedgley, she went to Samuel Marsden Collegiate School and later Victoria University. While studying at Victoria she became interested in politics, a subject she had previously little to do with. Kedgley became involved in student politics and was a member of the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association from 1967 to 1969. She then studied at the University of Auckland and in 1971, while still a student, she founded the Women's Liberation Group (part of the Women's liberation movement) after realising there was no such existing group at the university. That same year she stood for the Auckland City Council as a Labour Party candidate. Kedgley's Master of Arts thesis in political science was submitted to the University of Otago in 1972. Kedgley was employed as a researcher on the show Checkpoint. She was unable to become a presenter, being told at the time that women couldn't because their voices "aren't deep enough and they lack authority". Kedgley has written a number of books on feminist issues, and was one of the founding leaders of the women's liberation movement in New Zealand. Her book, titled Eating Safely in a Toxic World, set the scene in New Zealand for a new movement of 'safe-food campaigners'. Her autobiography Fifty Years a Feminist was published in 2021. Political career Local body politics In 1992 Kedgley, having left Labour to join the incipient Green Party, was elected the Wellington City Council (WCC). She remained a member for 7 years and was the founder and co-convenor of the New Zealand Safe Food Campaign. While on the WCC, Kedgley held the roles of chairperson, Consultation Committee, 1996–1998 and chairperson, Transport and Infrastructure Committee, 1998–1999. She resigned from the council in December 1999 after winning a parliamentary seat, saying it would be impossible to carry out both roles successfully at once. Before leaving she pushed for a by-election to be held to replace her rather than an appointment. The Green Party did not stand a candidate