OPINION: Metiria Turei has done the honourable thing and ruled herself out of a ministerial role.
She did it 15 minutes before Jacinda Ardern was due to speak - the Labour leader has said she would have ruled Turei out herself - as I wrote this morning she should.
So Turei fell on her sword instead of Ardern wielding it. Turei threw herself under the bus instead of Ardern throwing her under a bus.
Turei has given her heart and soul to the Green movement. She was hurting the Left. With Ardern in charge it has the best chance in years to win - and Turei was a distraction to that.
Turei has sacrificed her dream of becoming a Cabinet Minister to help the Green dream of getting to government. She will forever be revered by her people for that.
The only other option for Turei would have been to resign altogether. That would have triggered a leadership contest between Julie-Ann Genter, Marama Davidson and Jan Logie and just been too messy.
Turei is a legend on the Left - she does not want National to win.
National would have been hoping she stayed there hurting the Left. But in a sign of the real desperation to win, Turei has not let that happen.
National won't like that. And they really won't like the way the Left are being so ruthless.
The only thing that could have been worse for National would have been Ardern being able to rule Turei out - and getting even more momentum.
Patrick Gower is Newshub's political editor.
