Brigitte Morten: Political Commentator on Darleen Tana refusing to resign, the Green Party proposing the Waka Jumping legislation to it's members

There could be a battle brewing between Green Party MPs and grass root party members.  

Independent MP Darleen Tana has written a letter to the Greens which says they will vote with the party, which will mean proportionality stays the same.  

The Green Party leadership will take the proposition to use the Waka Jumping legislation to the wider party membership on September 1st.  

Political commentator Brigitte Morten says told Ryan Bridge they'll be hoping members agree.  

She says if they vote against the plan, the leaders face being out of step with the wider party membership. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Former Green MP Darlene Tana has responded to the party
co leader's formal request to resign, saying she has no
intention of doing so. Are we saying she or are
we saying they? From memory last time we did this story,
they or she had said that she was only a
they because she didn't walk alone. I don't think it

(00:22):
was necessarily a gender thing. And we checked with her office,
her office, and we checked with her. She didn't really
have an office anymore anyway, and she said she said
that she didn't mind whether we use they or she,
So anyway, we're using she. So. Tana has published a
lengthy letter to the Green Party arguing why she doesn't

(00:42):
think the Greens can reasonably invoke the wacker jumping law
against her, and doing so, she quotes Rod Donald, which
gets interesting. Brigitte Morton is political commentator. She's with us
good morning, Good morning. Tell me about the Rod Donald thing,
because I think that's interesting. She's basically leaning on his
interpretation of why walker jumping ain't good.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, I mean absolutely. She's reminding the Greens that they
have always opposed this walker jumping legislation and they've a
posted on the basis that they think it's undemocratic that
if somebody disagrees with the party that they should not
be kicked out on that basis. So they should be
able to basically vote on their morals or their values.
I think the problem is, though, is that she is

(01:28):
not actually delivering on some of those that said those
principles because of the activities that her and her husband
engaged in which go completely against what the Green stands for.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, she's not taking a moral stand. And isn't she
even in bringing up rod Donald, is she not conceding
that there is no moral stand or dispute that she's got.
It's just it's more of a character issue.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah. Absolutely, And of course she disputes that there is
a character issue. She says obviously that she's done nothing
wrong and that she's been a victim of an unfair process.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
So what happens from here a brigitte.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
So they've got that vote. I think it's about two
weeks time for the Green's membership. It's quite This puts
there on quite a collision course in quite dangerous territory
for the Green's leadership. The entire caucus, you know, unanously
agree that they should use the Walker jumping legislation and
therefore if the Greens membership does not agree with that,
that means they're going to be quite out of set

(02:29):
with their grassroots members.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Bitt, thank you very much for that update. We will
wait and see what happens. Something tells me this is
going to Whatever happens, it's going to take a very
very long time. Bridget morton our political commentation.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
For more from News Talks the'b listen live on air
or online, and

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on Irradio