Darleen Tana, a former Green Party member, has officially been removed from Parliament.
Tana left the Green Party in July after an investigation looked into what she knew about her husband’s business and claims of mistreating workers. On Thursday, Green Party members voted to remove her using a special rule called the “waka-jumping” law, and today Speaker Gerry Brownlee announced that her seat is now empty.
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick shared her thoughts, saying, “This decision marks the end of this matter, and we are proud to have stuck to our party’s values.” She added that their process followed the law very carefully and showed the party’s dedication to fairness.
The “waka-jumping” rule, which lets political parties remove MPs who leave their party, was used even though the Green Party had been against it in the past. Tana was asked several times to resign on her own, but she refused and stayed in Parliament as an independent member.
The situation started back in March when Tana was suspended from the Green Party while the investigation began. In July, the party concluded that Tana’s actions did not align with Green Party values, leading to her removal from the party. However, Tana did not step down from Parliament, which forced the party to take further action.
Tana’s removal today closes this chapter, with the Green Party saying they are ready to move forward.
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