Former Green Party MP Darleen Tana has been removed from Parliament.
Tana left the party in July, following an investigation into what she knew about allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband’s business.
Last week, Green Party delegates agreed that she should be removed from Parliament using the so-called “waka-jumping” law.
Today, speaker Gerry Brownlee announced her seat had been vacated.
The former Green Party MP spoke to 1News Political Editor Maiki Sherman. (Source: 1News)
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick reacted to the move by saying: “The Speaker has this morning Gazetted notice that Darleen Tana is no longer a Member of Parliament.
“Throughout this process, our founding values and principles have been our guiding star, and I am proud of how we have held true to those.
“This Gazette from the Speaker today draws a line under the issue.” She said the party’s process went “well above and beyond the requirements in the law”.
“We have always been and remain a proudly grassroots-led party.”
Special meeting
A special meeting was held on Thursday to decide Tana’s fate after she was ousted from the party in July, following an investigation allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband’s business.
In a statement at the time, Swarbrick said the matter was “approved by the consensus of all 185 delegates present at the meeting”.
“Hon. Marama Davidson and I have written to Darleen Tana to inform her of this, and for the last time request she finally do the right thing, take accountability and resign as a Member of Parliament,” Swarbrick said.
“We have also written to the Speaker outlining that we believe Darleen’s resignation from the party but not from Parliament has affected the proportionality of the House, triggering the next step of the legislation.
“From the outset, we have done all we can to navigate the situation in front of us with our values as the guiding star. I am proud of how we have held true to these throughout this process.”
‘Party-hopping’ explained
In the meeting, Green Party delegates decided whether it should use the “party-hopping” provisions under the Electoral Act 1993.
The Greens have a long history of opposing the provisions. In 2018, the party described handing over their support for it as “swallowing a dead rat”. It voted for the law to pass, however, in order to uphold their confidence and supply agreement with the Labour Party at the time.
Under the legislation, the co-leaders of the Green Party are able to write to the Speaker and remove Tana from Parliament entirely.
However, a vote on the matter needed a 75% threshold in favour from delegates before the co-leaders proceeded.
Timeline
On March 15, Tana was suspended from the Green Party after investigations began into allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband’s business.
On July 8, the Green Party held a press conference on the outcome of its independent 116-day inquiry, and announced they believed Tana had breached their candidate code of conduct. Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said she felt “utterly betrayed” during the stand-up.
Later that day, the party then asked Tana to leave Parliament, and said Tana’s conduct had “fallen far short” of Green Party values.
By July 15, Tana claimed she had been “isolated” and “silenced” by the party in an exclusive interview with 1News — and did not address quitting Parliament despite being asked.
On July 23, Tana returned to Parliament as an independent MP, and vowed her “determination to keep serving the people”.
The Green Party was previously set to decide Tana’s fate in September, after discussing the matter at their AGM in July. However, this meeting was postponed to this evening due to legal action undertaken by Tana at the time into the party’s investigation.
By September 20, it was reported Tana failed in her High Court bid to challenge the party’s investigation.
In October, Tana made an appeal on the court’s decision — but the Green Party signalled they would proceed with their special meeting on Tana’s future despite the renewed legal action, which was set for this evening.
