John MacDonald: On yer bike Darleen

There is a very fine line between being highly principled and high-and-mighty. And I think the Green Party has crossed that line. 

Even though the Greens think their now-ex list MP Darleen Tana is so bad that they want her out of Parliament altogether, and even though there is legislation that would enable them to make that happen, we’ve got this circus and the public pleading for her to resign. Simply because it would mean using a law that they never wanted in the first place. 

A law that former co-leader James Shaw famously described as a "dead rat" the party had to swallow and support’ as part of its confidence and supply agreement with the former Labour/NZ First coalition government. 

But so what? I’d forgive you Chlöe. Yes, it could look a little bit hypocritical. It could look a bit two-faced. But so what? 

So the report on the investigation into claims Darleen Tana was aware of complaints of migrant exploitation at her husband’s bike shop business has finally been delivered to the Greens.  

And, over the weekend, there were meetings left, right and centre —and yesterday— they announced that Darleen Tana was no longer one of them. 

But that wasn’t all. They also pleaded with her publicly to quit parliament altogether because they feel “utterly betrayed” and they don’t think she is fit to be an MP. 

And this morning, co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick went next level and told Newstalk ZB that Darleen Tana is a liar. 

So she’s quit the party. But can remain in Parliament as an independent MP and is already kicking up a fuss saying she's been hard done by and is not prepared to accept the investigation's findings. 

The Greens do have an ace up their sleeve - the waka-jumping legislation. Which they reluctantly supported back in the day when Labour and NZ First were running the shop. And which they also, subsequently, tried to get rid of, in cahoots with National. 

But it still exists and it's still available to them and, in my opinion, they should take full advantage and get this person they’ve been betrayed by and who they think isn’t fit to be an MP, out of the place sooner rather than later. 

The process they would have to follow would be writing to Tana herself and telling her that if she remains in Parliament (after resigning from the party) she will distort the Green Party’s proportionality in Parliament (as determined at the election). 

Tana would then have 21 working days to respond, after which the Greens’ caucus would consider the matter. And if at least two-thirds of the caucus agreed, they could then write to the Speaker asking for the law to be invoked, and she would be gone-burger. 

And I think that is exactly what they should be doing. 

Darleen Tana is not the first politician to be called a liar. She is not the first politician to quit their party.  

But if the Greens genuinely believe she is not fit to be an MP, then they need to stop all the shenanigans, stop all the high-and-mighty nonsense and get on with it. 

They might not like the waka-jumping law. But I suspect they like Darleen Tana even less. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
There was a very fine line, isn't there between being
highly principled and high and mighty, And I think the
Green Party is very close to crossing the line over
this crossing the line over the business with MP Darling
Tana actually just I having to rethink what do I
mean close to crossing the line? The Greens have definitely

(00:35):
crossed the line. They are definitely being high and mighty.
An alternative why even though they think she is so
bad that they want her out of Parliament all together,
and even though there is legislation that would enable them
to make that happen. This is the Whaka jumping legislation.
Despite all that, what we've got this circus and this

(00:56):
public pleading for her to resign simply because it would
mean using a law that the Greens never wanted in
the first place, a law that former co leader I'm
sure famously described as a dead rat the party had
to swallow and support as part of its confidence and
supply agreement with the former Labor New Zealand First Coalition government.

(01:18):
But so what, it's my position on it. So what
I'd forgive you, Chloe. Yep, it would look or it
could look and it would look a little bit hypocritical,
could look a little bit too faced, would look a
little bit two faced. So what just do it? So
the report where they saw all this flurry of activity

(01:42):
in the last twenty four hours came from, or seemed from,
was the report on the investigation and claims that Darlene
Tana was aware of complaints of migrant exploitation at her
husband's bike shop. And so the report has finally been
delivered to the Greens. I think they received it late
on Friday night, and over the weekend there were meetings left,

(02:04):
right and center, and yesterday they announced that Darling Tana
was no longer one of them. But that wasn't all.
They also pleaded with her publicly to do the right thing,
to quit parliament altogether because they feel quote utterly betrayed
and they don't think she is fit to be an MP.

(02:25):
And then this morning co leader Chloe Swarbrook went next
level and told Andrew Dickens that Darling Tana is a liar, Darling.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Tana is not fit to be a Green Pudding MP.
But more so than that, a member of Parliament and look,
I take absolutely no pleasure and no joy in that.
And as I just said Beforety Andrew, I am not
interested in this tip fittat all. Things continuing to play
out in the media. It's in everybody's best interested to
escalate here and for Darling to resign.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
And she is a liar.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
I said that she was not upfront with myself and
Madima and as many in the media have kind of
put it back to me, does that constitute lying? I've
told you yes, it does.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
So Darling Tanna. She has quit the but she can
remain in Parliament as an independent MP and has already
kicking up a fus you have seen this, saying that
she's been hard done by and not prepared to accept
the investigations findings. Blah blah, blah blah. But the Greens
have got this ace up their sleeve. The Wiker jumping legislation,
which it reluctantly supported back in the day and which
had also subsequently tried to get rid of that was

(03:27):
in hurtz with National But the fact of the matter
is it still exists and it's still available to them,
and in my opinion, they should take full advantage and
get this person that they have been utterly betrayed by
and who they don't think is fit to be an MP,
get her out of the place sooner rather than later.
The process would be rather straightforward. It would take a

(03:48):
little bit more time. They'd have to write to Darling
Tana herself and tell her that if she remains in
Parliament having resigned from the party, she will distort the
Green Party's proportionality in Parliament as determined at the election,
and then Tana she would have twenty one working days
to respond, after which the Greens caucus would consider the manner,
and if at least two thirds of the caucus agreed,

(04:10):
they could then write to speak to Jerry brownly asking
for the law to be invoked and she would be
Gonberger and I think that is exactly what they should
be doing. Darling Tanner's She's not the first politician to
be called a LAR, She's not the first politician to
quit their party. This is what it comes down to.
If the Greens genuinely believe that she is not fit
to be an MP, then they need to stop all

(04:32):
the shenani and stop all the higher mighty nonsense, get
on with it and use the whucker jumping law sooner
rather than later. They might not like the law, but
I suspect they liked Darling Tana even less.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
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