Her favourite bus bench in King Edward St may now sit empty, but her impact lives on — in policy, in people and in the city she helped shape.
Jo left us in the same vein she did everything — swiftly and with minimal fuss. Like many people, I was shocked to read about her passing in the Otago Daily Times.
As usual, she came armed with a list of demands for fairer services for seniors, including driver licensing, shingles vaccines, access to housing and unaffordable rates.
As always, she delivered her checklist with energy, humour and a non-nonsense approach.
Her voice was always one of principle and persistence, heard in council chambers, on the streets and in countless headlines.
Her tenacity extended to the sports field, too. We heard at Jo’s funeral how a rugby league team, flat and floundering at halftime, received a classic Jo Millar telling-off — and promptly went on to win the game.
Jo always spoke vehemently with every second word underscored.
She would meet us on bone-chilling street corners for election meetings with a flask of hot soup — and the famous shopping list of policy demands, and then fiercely remind us she was party-agnostic and that last week she had done the same "for the other lot".
She would also visit my Hillside Rd electorate office regularly to complain about what wasn’t happening for seniors and what we could and "must" do about it ... and after a terse start, we would finish the meeting with hugs and smiles.
Apart from her wonderful extended family of children and extended children, Jo’s legacy will be from a belief in social justice which was not academic; it was lived.
I am grateful for the impact she created opposing electricity and rates increases that disproportionately affected seniors.
She campaigned fearlessly and tirelessly against unsafe hospital discharge practices for elderly patients.
She led community petitions for fairer transport access in Dunedin and organised marches and public forums on elder care and dignity.
Her mahi moved mountains.
Jo, you remain with me as an inspiration to my work both as a local MP and as Labour spokeswoman for seniors.
RIP Wahine Toa Jo Millar, June 15, 1939 — July 19, 2025.
