Politics

Three Green party members quit over treatment of Darleen Tana

21:00 pm on 28 July 2024

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Three Green Party members say they have resigned over the party's treatment of Darleen Tana.

The Greens have written to Tana to say their former colleague's continued presence was distorting the proportionality of the House.

Tana resigned from the Greens earlier this month after the party's independent review into allegations linking her to exploitation at her husband's bicycle company.

At the weekend, the party said it had given Tana one last chance to resign before it asked members to consider using the party-hopping legislation to remove them from Parliament.

At the party's AGM, Marie Laufiso, Alofa Aiono, and Vasemaca Tavola from the Pasifika Greens said they were resigning over the saga.

The members are party members, not MPs.

The Green co-leaders had intentionally smeared Tana's character, integrity and mana, the trio said.

Laufiso, Aiono and Tavola also said former MP Elizabeth Kerekere had been subjected to "disappointingly disgusting" treatment, and the Greens had shown blatant disregard for the Pasifika network following the death of Fa'anānā Efeso Collins.

Green Party members will hold a Special General Meeting on 1 September to vote on the issue, unless Tana resigned before then.