Darleen Tana keeps the Green Party investigation under wraps
Monday, 15 July 2024
The Green Party still hasn’t heard from Darleen Tana, since she left the party over migrant worker exploitation allegations.
Stuff understands Tana is, by stonewalling the party, effectively blocking the publication of the party’s investigation.
Tana remains an MP, although is no longer in the Green Party.
The Green Party hasn’t released the findings of its investigation into Darleen Tana, because Tana is refusing to sign off on its release.
The Green Party wanted everyone who was named in the report to agree to release it. Stuff understands it is still waiting to hear back from two people named in the report, Tana herself and her husband, Christian Hoff Nielsen.
Tana hasn’t been seen at Parliament for 122 days, yet she remains an MP.
She was suspended from the Greens in March, when Stuff revealed links between herself and alleged migrant worker exploitation. The party then commissioned lawyer Rachel Burt to investigate the claims and whether Tana had failed to disclose potential issues with the party.
The migrant worker exploitation allegations came from an e-bike business owned by Tana’s husband. But staff who’ve laid complaints, such as Santiago Palma, alleged Tana remained involved in the business - even after becoming an MP.
Burt reported back to the Green Party and Tana late on the night of Friday, July 5. The party met with Tana the following day and asked her to resign as a Green MP. She left the Green Party, but has refused to resign as an MP.
In a statement, Green Party musterer Ricardo Menéndez March confirmed he still hadn’t heard anything from Tana since the caucus met to expel her last Saturday - nine days ago.
“Today, we have once again written formally to Darleen asking for her response to caucus’ unanimous request for her resignation,” he said, on Monday.
Stuff hasn’t heard from Tana either, despite numerous requests for comment. She has not responded to questions about:
If she will resign as an MP.
If she will make any comment, since she has not resigned as an MP.
If she disputes any of the Green Party statements about her and her actions.
If she is considering joining Te Pāti Māori, as deputy prime minister Winston Peters suggested.
Tana talks publicly amid Greens standoff
Speaking to 1News, Tana said “the easiest thing may well be to step away” from her seat in Parliament, but it was a decision that required “quite some consideration”. She said she was taking advice from supporters, including iwi and hapū.
“I know who I am, and what I did and did not do,” Tana said.
“I didn’t exploit migrants and I hope that is clear for the New Zealand public that there is no findings that any migrant exploitation occurred.”
Asked if she was completely upfront with the Green Party about the level of her involvement in her husband’s business, Tana said “I believe so, yes”.
The report had found she was not, though Tana had not accepted the findings.
“Natural justice wasn’t served in that report, it was not comprehensive. It did not include the voices of key witnesses who were directly involved in the situations,” Tana told 1 News.
“Two of the people related to the initial complaints were not interviewed, even though one of those came forward two months later and said he wanted to be heard - the Green Party said no to the investigator.”
She said she had found the report’s process “frustrating”.
“I’ve been silenced, I’ve been isolated, there’s been no duty of care from the party to me. And the taxpayer - 40-something thousand, hard-earned money has been wasted on an investigation which has ultimately found that I am married to my husband - for better or for worse.”
What happens when Parliament resumes?
Parliament is set to return next week, after a three week recess.
If the Green Party still hasn’t heard from Tana by then, then it will face further pressure over why she remains an MP.
Peters urged the Greens to use the “waka jumping” legislation to oust Tana from Parliament. It is a law the Green Party previously rallied against, calling it an anti-democratic dead rat.
To use it, the party would need to write to Speaker Gerry Brownlee and formally raise concern about her seat in Parliament.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has also voiced concern over Tana’s position as an MP, saying she had no mandate to stay in Parliament.
The Green Party has pleaded with Tana to resign.
“I would actually ask Darleen, to please resign to minimise the collateral damage,” said co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick, in a press conference confirming the investigation was complete.
While Tana has refused interview requests, in a statement last week she denied the investigation substantiated any of the exploitation claims.