July 8, 2024 • 6 mins
Darleen Tana has officially resigned from the Green Party, but will she stay on as an MP?
That's the question across the halls of power today, and there's some discussion the Greens may utilise the waka jumping legislation so Tana is removed from Parliament.
NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan joined Nick Mills to talk through what happens next.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said B direct from News Talks Edb's
team at Parliament's the bee Hive buzz hip.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Joining us for the Bee High Buzz is New Zealand's
Herald's deputy political editor Thomas Coglan.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Good morning, Thomas, Good morning neck.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yeah? Good howday this morning to say I would love to
be outside, Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's just a beautiful day in paradise and that the
trip would have been great to work. Okay, give us
the latest on Darling Tanner. Will the Greens walker jump oer?
What's going to happen? Come on? If anyone knows, you'll know.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well. I have to say I went home last night
thinking perhaps not. The Greens really don't like their walker
jumping billy. They had a civil war over voting for
it in the first place, and as recently as twenty
twenty one the Greens actually voted to try to repeal it.
They failed. Labor kept it on the statue books, but
(01:07):
Chloe Swarbrick herself voted to repeal the walker Jumping Bill
and actually spoke and the debate on repealing it, so
you'd have to say, given all that, of all the
parties to be least likely to use it, I'd say
the Greens would be actually the most the least likely
to use it. That said, I woke up this morning
and listened to Chloe Swarbrick on her morning media round
(01:28):
and she was sort of using language sort of like
last resort. You know, it's difficult for see blah blah blah,
quite soft sort of language. So that's obviously not a definite,
but it certainly seems like it's at least on the table,
which I think if you, if you'd asked me, or
ask anyone this question a few months ago, you would
have had to say, well, the walker jumping bill is
(01:49):
just never really on the table for the Greens. That
seems to have changed, and it is actually on the
table at the moment. But I still say it's quite
it's quite unlikely. The malls really in Darlene Tana's court.
She could go quietly sounds like she's probably not going
to do that, and then if she doesn't, then it
really it's really up to the Green so we'll see.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Surely it's the devil or the deep blue Sea. So
either they use the walker jump and get rid of her,
or she sits behind somewhere and causes all sorts of
problems for two and a half years and keeps causing
trouble when they can, you know, they can take it
on the chin. Yes we don't like it, and yes
we have to you know, swap sides to do it.
But surely that's the best thing for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
They could say, well, well yeah, I think they probably
will say something like that. I clearly there's something in
this report which is really frustrated Chloe spwaw Brick. Her
comments use today were basically to the extent that she
was horrified by what she found in this report and
it was untenimal for Darling Town and to stay in
(02:52):
and the corpus on the basis of that. So I
think there's possibly a justification to trigger this bill by
Chloe Swaubrick saying well, look what we've discovered here is
so bad that we do want you out of Parliament,
so that they might they might use that justification. On
the other hand, I would have agreed with you that
(03:12):
Darling Tana could sit on the back bench and caused
all sorts of trouble but we've had this a few
times in the last six years, and it just doesn't happen.
You know, Jamie E. Ross is meant to sit on
the backbench and cause all sorts of trouble. Elizabeth Kenny
Kelly was meant to sit on the back bench and
cause all sorts of trouble. Same with kind of Sharma.
They sort of they think that they can cause all
sorts of trouble and then they just sit there and don't.
(03:35):
They just sort of sit there and kind of rot.
And I really think that this is probably what's what's
what's what's going to happen. I mean, Darling, Tana has
been an MP for all of five minutes. She really
doesn't know what she's doing in the house. This is
the biggest moment of her entire life this week, this
is the most important she will ever be. If she
doesn't play her cards right and just sit to at
the back of the chamber, that is really where this
(03:56):
will probably end for her. And you can see why
that's appeeling. She gets, you know, one hundred and seventy
odd thousand dollars a year to sit in the seat
and do nothing. That's you can see why she would
be and think, well, actually that's not a bad way
of being my political career, just clipping the ticket and
then going quietly in a couple of years.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Okay, and flying down to Wellington on glorious days like today,
the prime ministers, the prime ministers in the States this week.
I mean, what do we want to see out of this?
I mean, he's going to get to meet a lot
of powerful people, but nothing's really set in concrete. It's
not like he's going to do a trade deal with
this or a trade deal with.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
That, is it?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, No, exactly. This is a NATO summit. This is
all about security, wore Ukraine, China, that's sort of stuff.
It's very much not trade. New Zealand is not a
member of NATO, but we're a member of this thing
called the IP four, which is Japan, Australia, Oselves and
South Korea. So that means we're we're a group of
sort of Asian countries that are adjacent to to NATO.
(04:57):
It's quite it's quite a good summit for us to
attend because NATO is obviously home, you know, so all
of Europe basically and the United States and Canada. It's
a great place to rub shoulders with some very very
powerful people from some very very powerful countries when there's
no one else really in the room. So you know,
kristpher Lackson will prime ministers will go after the United Nations.
(05:21):
But when you're in the United Nations, you know there
are one hundred and eighty odd countries there, so it
can be quite difficult to get some FaceTime with powerful
leaders at the United Nations because there are so many
people that NATO. It's actually a great opportunity to get
some FaceTime with these leaders because there are only sort
of thirty something odd countries and are members of it,
so it's a really it's a really good opportunity for us.
(05:42):
The problem is that it's very sort of security focused
and that's just not really where the New Zealand is at.
So so New Zealand obviously has there's a trade focus
and that's really not only gender NATO. But that'll come
later in the year with APK and the East Age
or Summit, which is you have a trade focus.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Thomas, I've only got a minute left with you, but
you had a tragic story over the weekend about an
acting pea. Can you and sixty seconds. Give us the
background of that story, please.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yes, and this is un Mark Cameron, who lost his
son to speak the suicide earlier this year. He's returned
to Parliament and gave the hero a very moving an
interview about his time rutuniting to Parliament and his own
struggle with depression as a young man. So it's up
on the website off anyone wants to have a read
of it. It was a very powerful story and we'll
be very grateful for him that he opened up and
(06:28):
shared it with us.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
You know what, I've been following that story, so I'll
definitely go on on the web and get it. Thanks
very much, Thanks very much for joining us this morning. Thomas.
Really good to talk to you, and definitely I would
advise anyone that would like to read that story on
Mark Cameron because I've been following it and it's a
tragic trajic story and the fact that he's opened up
(06:50):
to Thomas that will be a good read. Thomas Coglan,
thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Have you everyone.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio,
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk said B direct from News Talks Edb's
team at Parliament's the bee Hive buzz hip.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Joining us for the Bee High Buzz is New Zealand's
Herald's deputy political editor Thomas Coglan.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Good morning, Thomas, Good morning neck.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yeah? Good howday this morning to say I would love to
be outside, Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's just a beautiful day in paradise and that the
trip would have been great to work. Okay, give us
the latest on Darling Tanner. Will the Greens walker jump oer?
What's going to happen? Come on? If anyone knows, you'll know.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well. I have to say I went home last night
thinking perhaps not. The Greens really don't like their walker
jumping billy. They had a civil war over voting for
it in the first place, and as recently as twenty
twenty one the Greens actually voted to try to repeal it.
They failed. Labor kept it on the statue books, but
(01:07):
Chloe Swarbrick herself voted to repeal the walker Jumping Bill
and actually spoke and the debate on repealing it, so
you'd have to say, given all that, of all the
parties to be least likely to use it, I'd say
the Greens would be actually the most the least likely
to use it. That said, I woke up this morning
and listened to Chloe Swarbrick on her morning media round
(01:28):
and she was sort of using language sort of like
last resort. You know, it's difficult for see blah blah blah,
quite soft sort of language. So that's obviously not a definite,
but it certainly seems like it's at least on the table,
which I think if you, if you'd asked me, or
ask anyone this question a few months ago, you would
have had to say, well, the walker jumping bill is
(01:49):
just never really on the table for the Greens. That
seems to have changed, and it is actually on the
table at the moment. But I still say it's quite
it's quite unlikely. The malls really in Darlene Tana's court.
She could go quietly sounds like she's probably not going
to do that, and then if she doesn't, then it
really it's really up to the Green so we'll see.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Surely it's the devil or the deep blue Sea. So
either they use the walker jump and get rid of her,
or she sits behind somewhere and causes all sorts of
problems for two and a half years and keeps causing
trouble when they can, you know, they can take it
on the chin. Yes we don't like it, and yes
we have to you know, swap sides to do it.
But surely that's the best thing for New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
They could say, well, well yeah, I think they probably
will say something like that. I clearly there's something in
this report which is really frustrated Chloe spwaw Brick. Her
comments use today were basically to the extent that she
was horrified by what she found in this report and
it was untenimal for Darling Town and to stay in
(02:52):
and the corpus on the basis of that. So I
think there's possibly a justification to trigger this bill by
Chloe Swaubrick saying well, look what we've discovered here is
so bad that we do want you out of Parliament,
so that they might they might use that justification. On
the other hand, I would have agreed with you that
(03:12):
Darling Tana could sit on the back bench and caused
all sorts of trouble but we've had this a few
times in the last six years, and it just doesn't happen.
You know, Jamie E. Ross is meant to sit on
the backbench and cause all sorts of trouble. Elizabeth Kenny
Kelly was meant to sit on the back bench and
cause all sorts of trouble. Same with kind of Sharma.
They sort of they think that they can cause all
sorts of trouble and then they just sit there and don't.
(03:35):
They just sort of sit there and kind of rot.
And I really think that this is probably what's what's
what's what's going to happen. I mean, Darling, Tana has
been an MP for all of five minutes. She really
doesn't know what she's doing in the house. This is
the biggest moment of her entire life this week, this
is the most important she will ever be. If she
doesn't play her cards right and just sit to at
the back of the chamber, that is really where this
(03:56):
will probably end for her. And you can see why
that's appeeling. She gets, you know, one hundred and seventy
odd thousand dollars a year to sit in the seat
and do nothing. That's you can see why she would
be and think, well, actually that's not a bad way
of being my political career, just clipping the ticket and
then going quietly in a couple of years.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Okay, and flying down to Wellington on glorious days like today,
the prime ministers, the prime ministers in the States this week.
I mean, what do we want to see out of this?
I mean, he's going to get to meet a lot
of powerful people, but nothing's really set in concrete. It's
not like he's going to do a trade deal with
this or a trade deal with.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
That, is it?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah, No, exactly. This is a NATO summit. This is
all about security, wore Ukraine, China, that's sort of stuff.
It's very much not trade. New Zealand is not a
member of NATO, but we're a member of this thing
called the IP four, which is Japan, Australia, Oselves and
South Korea. So that means we're we're a group of
sort of Asian countries that are adjacent to to NATO.
(04:57):
It's quite it's quite a good summit for us to
attend because NATO is obviously home, you know, so all
of Europe basically and the United States and Canada. It's
a great place to rub shoulders with some very very
powerful people from some very very powerful countries when there's
no one else really in the room. So you know,
kristpher Lackson will prime ministers will go after the United Nations.
(05:21):
But when you're in the United Nations, you know there
are one hundred and eighty odd countries there, so it
can be quite difficult to get some FaceTime with powerful
leaders at the United Nations because there are so many
people that NATO. It's actually a great opportunity to get
some FaceTime with these leaders because there are only sort
of thirty something odd countries and are members of it,
so it's a really it's a really good opportunity for us.
(05:42):
The problem is that it's very sort of security focused
and that's just not really where the New Zealand is at.
So so New Zealand obviously has there's a trade focus
and that's really not only gender NATO. But that'll come
later in the year with APK and the East Age
or Summit, which is you have a trade focus.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Thomas, I've only got a minute left with you, but
you had a tragic story over the weekend about an
acting pea. Can you and sixty seconds. Give us the
background of that story, please.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yes, and this is un Mark Cameron, who lost his
son to speak the suicide earlier this year. He's returned
to Parliament and gave the hero a very moving an
interview about his time rutuniting to Parliament and his own
struggle with depression as a young man. So it's up
on the website off anyone wants to have a read
of it. It was a very powerful story and we'll
be very grateful for him that he opened up and
(06:28):
shared it with us.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
You know what, I've been following that story, so I'll
definitely go on on the web and get it. Thanks
very much, Thanks very much for joining us this morning. Thomas.
Really good to talk to you, and definitely I would
advise anyone that would like to read that story on
Mark Cameron because I've been following it and it's a
tragic trajic story and the fact that he's opened up
(06:50):
to Thomas that will be a good read. Thomas Coglan,
thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Have you everyone.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio,
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