1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: Kielda. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is a bonus episode 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: of the Front Page, a daily podcast presented by the 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: New Zealand Herald. Green MP Darlene Tana has spent half 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: of her short parliamentary career under investigation after allegations she's 5 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: linked to migrant exploitation at her husband's bicycle company. A 6 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: report on the lengthy investigation was delivered to the Green 7 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: Party on Friday night, and the party is now called 8 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: on Tana to resign. To explain what's happening and why 9 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,279 Speaker 1: the Greens aren't firing Tana themselves. We're joined now on 10 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: the Front Page by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls. Jason, 11 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: can you give us the cliff notes version of who 12 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: Darlene Tana is and what she was accused of doing? 13 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: The cliff note versions of who she is? I couldn't 14 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 2: do that because she was not very well known before 15 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 2: she entered parliament. In fact, her rise to prominence came 16 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: exclusively because of these allegations of migrant exploitation at her 17 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 2: husband's e bike company. And since then it's been as 18 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 2: of recording, one hundred and fifteen days. It has been 19 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 2: a long drawn out process as we tried to determine 20 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,279 Speaker 2: who is this person and what has she or hasn't 21 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 2: she done, And the release of the Green Party's statement 22 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 2: sheds very little light into either of those questions. 23 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: Well, the Greens finally got that report on Tana on 24 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: Friday night. Hey, they held a caucus meeting over the 25 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: weekend with China involved. Now they've asked her to resign 26 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: from parliament. What do you make of this process? 27 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 2: It's a process that somewhat ironically, the Greens have found 28 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 2: themselves in before with Elizabeth Ketty Kenny. I mean, they're 29 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: vehemently against the Walker jumping legislation, which would have meant 30 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 2: that she would have been a lot easier to dispatch. However, 31 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: since they were very against that, couldn't exactly use it 32 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: on their own MPs once, certainly not twice. So it 33 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 2: means that the caucus and the Green Party leadership has 34 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: asked her to resign from the Green Party, which she has. 35 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: But the question lingering at this stage is will she 36 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 2: resign from parliament. At this stage, technically she's counted as 37 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: an independent MP, just like Elizabeth Ketty Ketty was, just 38 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: like Jamie Lee Ross was just like good av Chardamau was. 39 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: So it's not exactly a stacked roster of people that 40 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 2: you want to compare yourself with. And so she's in 41 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 2: political limbo at this stage while we figure out is 42 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: she going to stay or is she going to go? 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: Do you find it astonishing that an MP can spend 44 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 1: half their parliamentary career under investigation and still be on 45 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: full pay. 46 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: Well, yes and no. I agreed from the outset with 47 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 2: the Green Party that there had to be some elements 48 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 2: of natural justice. You are innocent until proven guilty, so 49 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 2: requiring you to leave parliament and stopping your pay would 50 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 2: have been a step too far. But one hundred and 51 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: fifteen days granted, half of it, maybe about forty thousand 52 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 2: dollars of it, was paid by tax payers. The rest 53 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 2: was paid for by the Green Party itself. I mean, 54 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: it's a terrible look for the party. Although it was 55 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: following what it said was due process, it sounded like 56 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 2: there was a lot of legal back and forth that 57 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 2: happened behind the scenes, which again we don't know yet 58 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 2: because we don't have the report. 59 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 1: The Greens aren't going to force Tanner to quit themselves 60 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: and they won't invoke the so called walker jumping legislation 61 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: you mentioned before to sack. MP's former Greens co leader 62 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: James Shaw called such a process draconian and anti democratic. 63 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: Does that hold up considering Tana only came in on 64 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: the list of a party that doesn't want her anymore. 65 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 2: Well, you've got to consider the counterfactual of what the 66 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 2: democracy in the situation is. I mean, Tana is not 67 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: the face of the Green Party. Very few people went 68 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: to the polls and said I'm voting for the Greens 69 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 2: because I want Darlien Tana to be an MP. Therefore, 70 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: she hasn't got the right to say that she is 71 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 2: here represented by the people if she stays on as 72 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 2: a Green MP. She stood as an independent MP. Rather, 73 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 2: she stood in the Auckland Central Marty seat of Palmakee 74 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 2: Mikado and lost that seat quite significantly. It was a 75 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 2: battle between Tipati Marti's candidate and Pinie Hennare from the 76 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: Labor Party. She didn't have a showing, So there is 77 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 2: no way that you can argue it's democratic that she's 78 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 2: there being an independent. She has less right to be 79 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 2: there than anybody else that came third on the voting 80 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 2: block of any other place. Across the country. It's just 81 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: the Greens seemed to be consistently shooting themselves in both 82 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 2: feet when it comes to this walker jumping legislation. They 83 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 2: were the biggest opponents of it, but now it's come 84 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 2: to bite them a couple of times. Now they'll be 85 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 2: considering their options. And I wonder if James Shaw sticks 86 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 2: by those comments or whether he doesn't care because he 87 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:41,679 Speaker 2: doesn't have to be involved anymore. 88 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: You and Thomas Coglin on on the Tiles podcast said, 89 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: Chloe Swarbrick is basically the only Green MP really performing 90 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: well at the moment. Is she handling this case quite well? 91 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 2: Do you think she came out quite strong in that 92 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: press conference. I mean, she was hamstrung about what she 93 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: could and couldn't say in the which is extremely disappointing. 94 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 2: But what she had to do was make us read 95 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 2: between the lines, which she did. She said things like 96 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 2: it is crystal clear that her conduct didn't meet the threshold. 97 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 2: She said it fell very, very far short, and that 98 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 2: she was extremely disappointed in the actions of Darlian Tanna. 99 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 3: Protecting our planet and caring for our people, our core 100 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 3: to who we are and as co leaders Martima and 101 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 3: I have clear expectations that our MP's are guided by 102 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 3: those values. This is why, following the conclusion of the 103 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:39,239 Speaker 3: expert independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Darlene Tana, Martima 104 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 3: and I recommended to Caucus that we request her resignation 105 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 3: as a Member of Parliament. 106 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 2: So all we can do is put together the pieces 107 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 2: and say her husband was accused of migrant exploitations and 108 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 2: allegations that he's denied. The probe about a Tana was 109 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 2: to understand her level of involvement or even knowledge, and 110 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: so looking at what the co leader has said on 111 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 2: balance without seeing the report, they must have found something 112 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 2: that was extremely improper for them to have this sort 113 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 2: of reaction. 114 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: What does this mean for the Greens on a whole. 115 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: They've had a rough year of it for multiple reasons. 116 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:24,359 Speaker 1: Once Tana's gone, will they be able to finally move on. 117 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 2: It's going to be tough for them to move on 118 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 2: from this because it's not the first scandal of the year. 119 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 2: I mean, of course, they had the Goldways Guaman scandal 120 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 2: as well, that is still hanging over them as that 121 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,799 Speaker 2: has played out in court. I mean, obviously different kettle 122 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 2: of fish, but the official Collins tragic death as well, 123 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: doesn't I mean it's really done a knock on caucus morale. 124 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 2: So this will be exactly what the Greens won't want. 125 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: They'll want to be holding the government to account on 126 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 2: a number of things. In Chloe Swarbrick is quickly learning 127 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: that being a party leader isn't all smiles, handshakes and 128 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 2: kissing babies. It's a lot of putting up fires and 129 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 2: she's had to be a firefight of a forest fire 130 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 2: that she never envisaged. 131 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, Jason. That's it for this episode 132 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: of the Front Page. You can read more about today's 133 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: stories and extensive news coverage at enzet Herald dot co 134 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: dot z. The Front Page is produced by Ethan Siles 135 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: with sound engineer Patty Fox. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to 136 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts, 137 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: and tune in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.