Dame Margaret Shields passed away on 29 May 2013, former Labour MP for Kapiti, Minister of Customs and Consumer Affairs, Women's Affairs, and Chairperson of the Wellington Regional Council. Labour Leader David Shearer described her as "a tireless campaigner for women's rights", as evidenced by her work to to remove discrimination in the NZ electoral system, and at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research for the Advancement of Women.
The proposal to reinstate the Rimutaka Incline came about after a speech by Dame Margaret at Summit in July 2002, inviting proposals from Wellington rail heritage groups for the reinstatement of the world-famous line, which she believed would be a major tourist attraction for the Wellington Region.
Dame Margaret is survived by her husband Pat and one of their two daughters, Catharine.