What next for Darleen Tana?

Tuesday, 9 July 2024

The Green Party has made a plea for MP Darleen Tana to resign but she is digging in and refusing to quit.

Anna Whyte is a senior journalist at The Post.

OPINION: The political ball now sits in Darleen Tana’s court – after resigning from the Greens and being urged by the party to leave Parliament altogether, Tana now has a series of decisions that will determine her political future.

1. Tana could choose to resign from Parliament. This would be the easiest option for the Green Party, which would bring in next on the list, Benjamin Doyle.

2. Tana could stay on. This option brings issues for both Tana and the Green Party.

For Tana: It can be a lonely life for an independent MP and, with only having experienced being an MP for a matter of months, Parliament’s confusing systems and rules may be difficult to navigate. However, despite the possible negatives, it would still give Tana the privilege of being a member of Parliament until the election, along with the pay packet.

Green Party MPs Teanau Tuiono, Chloe Swarbrick, and Ricardo Menendez-March head to a press conference on Monday about Darleen Tana.

For the Greens: It poses more of a sticky situation. Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick on Monday spoke very critically when asked about the possibility of Tana remaining in Parliament, accusing Tana of behaviour that “falls far short of that we expect of a Green Party MP but more so a Member of Parliament”.

Tana would take funding with her, and possibly what would have been a Green Party vote, should she choose not to vote with the party.

Greens ask MP Darleen Tana to 'please resign' following investigation.

If the Greens were to invoke waka-jumping legislation in an attempt to boot her from Parliament, it places the party in a very awkward position. The legislation was described by the Green Party as swallowing a dead rat in 2018 when it voted in favour of the change. It then sided with National in 2020 in an unsuccessful attempt to get rid of the law. The Greens, seemingly keen to get back to talking about climate change and poverty, may also be put off by a potentially lengthy procedural process.

3. Tana could join another party – Stuff’s Glenn McConnell reported Tana changed her social media branding to Toitū Te Tiriti posters used by Te Pāti Māori in May while the investigation was only halfway through. A Te Pāti Māori spokesperson said everyone was welcome but there had not been conversations with Tana. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters also stoked the flames on Tuesday morning telling Breakfast, Tana “will probably go and join them [Te Pāti Māori] and be welcomed by them”.

4. What about the report? The Greens are keen to release the executive summary, but are in the middle of contacting those involved for their OK. The party is still working on this.