Bryce Edwards: political analyst examines whether or not Darleen Tana has a future in Parliament

Disgraced ex-Green MP Darleen Tana says she doesn't accept the findings of the report that's prompted calls for her resignation.

Following a months-long investigation into her knowledge of alleged migrant exploitation at her husband's business, Tana has resigned from the Greens.

Political analyst Bryce Edwards says Tana's response today is the only one possible.

He says if she wants to fight to stay in Parliament she has to contest what the Greens are saying.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right, So let's get a bit of an explainer about
what is actually happening now in the case of Darling Tana.
As it stands, she was elected on the Greens list
but resigned her membership of the party. In her electorate,
she came a distant third with fewer than three thousand votes.
So Darling Tanna released her statement in the past half
hour saying she does not accept the findings of the
report and is deeply concerned by the party's summary of

(00:21):
the findings. She says the report does not say that
migrant exploitation occurred, let alone that she is responsible for
it in any capacity. Tanna says she's only had a
short time to consider the report and will be taking
some time to consider it. So political analyst Bryce Edwards
from Victoria University of Wellington is with us. Now, how
you doing, Bryce? Not so bad, Francesca, what do you

(00:44):
make of Darling's response?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Oh? Look, this is her only response she can make.
If she wants to fight to stay in parliament, she
will have to contest what the Greens are saying, and
if she is to have any sort of argument justication
for staying, it's that she hasn't been treated fairly and
that the investigation is in correct. Otherwise it's hard to

(01:08):
see how she's got a leg to stand on. So yeah,
it's quite surprising, and until the Greens are ready to
release that report, it's really hard for the public to
judge her arguments that she's still innocent.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
What are the options here for Darling stay as an independent?

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Oh yeah, she's been elected and to write to stay
there and release the Greens bring in the walker jumping legislation.
All they have to do is essentially right to the Speaker.
There's a bit more to it. They need to get

(01:48):
the permission of their membership and they need to give
Darling to a twenty one day's notice and a chance
for her to address this idea. But essentially they write
to the Speaker and say, look, we've lost one of
our MPs, Darling Tana is no longer a Green member
of Caucus and that thoughts the proportionality of Parliament, and

(02:11):
then the Speaker essentially dismisses her. But of course whether
they do that is a big question because the Queens
have always opposed.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
The close the walker jump and go don't they.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yes, But of course they now benefit from it, so
they're going to have to. I mean, unless Darling Tana
chooses to resign, they're going to have to decide whether
they just put up with her being there, or whether
they look like hypocrites or opportunists by using something they

(02:43):
are fundamentally opposed to.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Surprise, how do you say this whole thing playing out.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Look at the hard to say at the stage, but
I think she's likely Darling Tana is likely to stay
as an independent. She could even join a party, liked
Party Mary, because the way it's going to be very
lonely with here by herself in Parliament, and you know,
she'll be und a huge pressure, so it won't be
an easy ride if she chooses the step. And but

(03:09):
of course it might just the pressure might get to
her and she might just want to move away from
politics and tailing.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
I think we'd all quite like to move on Bryce
one hundred and sixteen days. You know, this investigation's gone on.
We're all over it.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
It is quite fastical and the Greens haven't really fronted
up about why it's taking so long and why they
haven't been more transparent about what's going on. And so
I don't think there's a lot of sympathy at the
moment for the Greens or Darlene Tanner, and it doesn't
really reflect well on any of them at the moment,
so I think they're all kind of the losers in
this situation.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Bryce Edwards, thank you very much for more from Hither
Duplessye Alan Drive. Listen live to news talks it'd be
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