Who is embattled Greens MP Darleen Tana?
Friday, 15 March 2024
Darleen Tana, the new Green MP who has been stood down after an allegation of migrant exploitation at a business owned by her husband, arrived in Parliament last year.
Tana, the party’s spokesperson for science, media and oceans, delivered her maiden speech last month, outlining her university degree which she obtained in the 80s. She has a bachelor’s degree in chemical technology at Massey University in Palmerston North and went on to work as an environmental scientist for the next seven years.
She was awarded a scholarship in 1997 to complete her masters’ degree in business administration in Brussels. She stayed there for 17 years where she worked in the corporate sector, in IT, before moving into strategic programme management, and then talent management.
Tana and her family then returned to New Zealand, setting up on Waiheke Island with six suitcases between them.
“There, we set up [her husband’s] business, manufacturing, selling, and renting electric bikes,” she said in her speech. “I swapped out my pencil skirts and high heels for bike mechanic apron and steel cap boots.
“In 2020, the Northland branch of the Green Party found me at Waitangi and asked me to stand as a candidate in that general election.”
On her arrival to Parliament, Tana told The Post she had been “really enamoured of the level of support and manaaki that we are receiving”.
Tana is a member on the environment select committee at Parliament. She has a Member’s Bill to propose “stronger protection for threatened marine mammals, such as Hector’s dolphin, Māui dolphin, and New Zealand sea lion from the impacts of human activities such as commercial fishing”.
The Green Party this morning confirmed it had suspended Tana yesterday afternoon, and appointed an independent lawyer to investigate her conduct after a Stuff investigation into allegations of migrant exploitation at a business owned by her husband, Christian Hoff-Nielsen, who has denied the claims.
Tana’s suspension came after Stuff put a series of questions to her about the allegations that the company, E-Bikes NZ, employed a worker who was in New Zealand on a visitor visa, and paid him in cash until he secured a work visa.That worker claims he is owed about $25,000 in wages and holiday pay by the business. He has lodged an ERA claim.