Kielda. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is a bonus episode of the Front Page, a daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. Green MP Darlene Tana has spent half of her short parliamentary career under investigation after allegations she's linked to migrant exploitation at her husband's bicycle company. A report on the lengthy investigation was delivered to the Green Party on Friday night, and the party is now called on Tana to resign. To explain what's happening and why the Greens aren't firing Tana themselves. We're joined now on the Front Page by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls. Jason, can you give us the cliff notes version of who Darlene Tana is and what she was accused of doing?

Kielda. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is a bonus episode of the Front Page, a daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. Green MP Darlene Tana has spent half of her short parliamentary career under investigation after allegations she's linked to migrant exploitation at her husband's bicycle company. A report on the lengthy investigation was delivered to the Green Party on Friday night, and the party is now called on Tana to resign. To explain what's happening and why the Greens aren't firing Tana themselves. We're joined now on the Front Page by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls. Jason, can you give us the cliff notes version of who Darlene Tana is and what she was accused of doing?

The cliff note versions of who she is? I couldn't do that because she was not very well known before she entered parliament. In fact, her rise to prominence came exclusively because of these allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband's e bike company. And since then it's been as of recording, one hundred and fifteen days. It has been a long drawn out process as we tried to determine who is this person and what has she or hasn't she done, And the release of the Green Party's statement sheds very little light into either of those questions.

The cliff note versions of who she is? I couldn't do that because she was not very well known before she entered parliament. In fact, her rise to prominence came exclusively because of these allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband's e bike company. And since then it's been as of recording, one hundred and fifteen days. It has been a long drawn out process as we tried to determine who is this person and what has she or hasn't she done, And the release of the Green Party's statement sheds very little light into either of those questions.

Well, the Greens finally got that report on Tana on Friday night. Hey, they held a caucus meeting over the weekend with China involved. Now they've asked her to resign from parliament. What do you make of this process?

Well, the Greens finally got that report on Tana on Friday night. Hey, they held a caucus meeting over the weekend with China involved. Now they've asked her to resign from parliament. What do you make of this process?

It's a process that somewhat ironically, the Greens have found themselves in before with Elizabeth Ketty Kenny. I mean, they're vehemently against the Walker jumping legislation, which would have meant that she would have been a lot easier to dispatch. However, since they were very against that, couldn't exactly use it on their own MPs once, certainly not twice. So it means that the caucus and the Green Party leadership has asked her to resign from the Green Party, which she has. But the question lingering at this stage is will she resign from parliament. At this stage, technically she's counted as an independent MP, just like Elizabeth Ketty Ketty was, just like Jamie Lee Ross was just like good av Chardamau was. So it's not exactly a stacked roster of people that you want to compare yourself with. And so she's in political limbo at this stage while we figure out is she going to stay or is she going to go?

It's a process that somewhat ironically, the Greens have found themselves in before with Elizabeth Ketty Kenny. I mean, they're vehemently against the Walker jumping legislation, which would have meant that she would have been a lot easier to dispatch. However, since they were very against that, couldn't exactly use it on their own MPs once, certainly not twice. So it means that the caucus and the Green Party leadership has asked her to resign from the Green Party, which she has. But the question lingering at this stage is will she resign from parliament. At this stage, technically she's counted as an independent MP, just like Elizabeth Ketty Ketty was, just like Jamie Lee Ross was just like good av Chardamau was. So it's not exactly a stacked roster of people that you want to compare yourself with. And so she's in political limbo at this stage while we figure out is she going to stay or is she going to go?

Do you find it astonishing that an MP can spend half their parliamentary career under investigation and still be on full pay.

Do you find it astonishing that an MP can spend half their parliamentary career under investigation and still be on full pay.

Well, yes and no. I agreed from the outset with the Green Party that there had to be some elements of natural justice. You are innocent until proven guilty, so requiring you to leave parliament and stopping your pay would have been a step too far. But one hundred and fifteen days granted, half of it, maybe about forty thousand dollars of it, was paid by tax payers. The rest was paid for by the Green Party itself. I mean, it's a terrible look for the party. Although it was following what it said was due process, it sounded like there was a lot of legal back and forth that happened behind the scenes, which again we don't know yet because we don't have the report.

Well, yes and no. I agreed from the outset with the Green Party that there had to be some elements of natural justice. You are innocent until proven guilty, so requiring you to leave parliament and stopping your pay would have been a step too far. But one hundred and fifteen days granted, half of it, maybe about forty thousand dollars of it, was paid by tax payers. The rest was paid for by the Green Party itself. I mean, it's a terrible look for the party. Although it was following what it said was due process, it sounded like there was a lot of legal back and forth that happened behind the scenes, which again we don't know yet because we don't have the report.

The Greens aren't going to force Tanner to quit themselves and they won't invoke the so called walker jumping legislation you mentioned before to sack. MP's former Greens co leader James Shaw called such a process draconian and anti democratic. Does that hold up considering Tana only came in on the list of a party that doesn't want her anymore.

The Greens aren't going to force Tanner to quit themselves and they won't invoke the so called walker jumping legislation you mentioned before to sack. MP's former Greens co leader James Shaw called such a process draconian and anti democratic. Does that hold up considering Tana only came in on the list of a party that doesn't want her anymore.

Well, you've got to consider the counterfactual of what the democracy in the situation is. I mean, Tana is not the face of the Green Party. Very few people went to the polls and said I'm voting for the Greens because I want Darlien Tana to be an MP. Therefore, she hasn't got the right to say that she is here represented by the people if she stays on as a Green MP. She stood as an independent MP. Rather, she stood in the Auckland Central Marty seat of Palmakee Mikado and lost that seat quite significantly. It was a battle between Tipati Marti's candidate and Pinie Hennare from the Labor Party. She didn't have a showing, So there is no way that you can argue it's democratic that she's there being an independent. She has less right to be there than anybody else that came third on the voting block of any other place. Across the country. It's just the Greens seemed to be consistently shooting themselves in both feet when it comes to this walker jumping legislation. They were the biggest opponents of it, but now it's come to bite them a couple of times. Now they'll be considering their options. And I wonder if James Shaw sticks by those comments or whether he doesn't care because he doesn't have to be involved anymore.

Well, you've got to consider the counterfactual of what the democracy in the situation is. I mean, Tana is not the face of the Green Party. Very few people went to the polls and said I'm voting for the Greens because I want Darlien Tana to be an MP. Therefore, she hasn't got the right to say that she is here represented by the people if she stays on as a Green MP. She stood as an independent MP. Rather, she stood in the Auckland Central Marty seat of Palmakee Mikado and lost that seat quite significantly. It was a battle between Tipati Marti's candidate and Pinie Hennare from the Labor Party. She didn't have a showing, So there is no way that you can argue it's democratic that she's there being an independent. She has less right to be there than anybody else that came third on the voting block of any other place. Across the country. It's just the Greens seemed to be consistently shooting themselves in both feet when it comes to this walker jumping legislation. They were the biggest opponents of it, but now it's come to bite them a couple of times. Now they'll be considering their options. And I wonder if James Shaw sticks by those comments or whether he doesn't care because he doesn't have to be involved anymore.

You and Thomas Coglin on on the Tiles podcast said, Chloe Swarbrick is basically the only Green MP really performing well at the moment. Is she handling this case quite well?

You and Thomas Coglin on on the Tiles podcast said, Chloe Swarbrick is basically the only Green MP really performing well at the moment. Is she handling this case quite well?

Do you think she came out quite strong in that press conference. I mean, she was hamstrung about what she could and couldn't say in the which is extremely disappointing. But what she had to do was make us read between the lines, which she did. She said things like it is crystal clear that her conduct didn't meet the threshold. She said it fell very, very far short, and that she was extremely disappointed in the actions of Darlian Tanna.

Do you think she came out quite strong in that press conference. I mean, she was hamstrung about what she could and couldn't say in the which is extremely disappointing. But what she had to do was make us read between the lines, which she did. She said things like it is crystal clear that her conduct didn't meet the threshold. She said it fell very, very far short, and that she was extremely disappointed in the actions of Darlian Tanna.

Protecting our planet and caring for our people, our core to who we are and as co leaders Martima and I have clear expectations that our MP's are guided by those values. This is why, following the conclusion of the expert independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Darlene Tana, Martima and I recommended to Caucus that we request her resignation as a Member of Parliament.

Protecting our planet and caring for our people, our core to who we are and as co leaders Martima and I have clear expectations that our MP's are guided by those values. This is why, following the conclusion of the expert independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Darlene Tana, Martima and I recommended to Caucus that we request her resignation as a Member of Parliament.

So all we can do is put together the pieces and say her husband was accused of migrant exploitations and allegations that he's denied. The probe about a Tana was to understand her level of involvement or even knowledge, and so looking at what the co leader has said on balance without seeing the report, they must have found something that was extremely improper for them to have this sort of reaction.

So all we can do is put together the pieces and say her husband was accused of migrant exploitations and allegations that he's denied. The probe about a Tana was to understand her level of involvement or even knowledge, and so looking at what the co leader has said on balance without seeing the report, they must have found something that was extremely improper for them to have this sort of reaction.

What does this mean for the Greens on a whole. They've had a rough year of it for multiple reasons. Once Tana's gone, will they be able to finally move on.

What does this mean for the Greens on a whole. They've had a rough year of it for multiple reasons. Once Tana's gone, will they be able to finally move on.

It's going to be tough for them to move on from this because it's not the first scandal of the year. I mean, of course, they had the Goldways Guaman scandal as well, that is still hanging over them as that has played out in court. I mean, obviously different kettle of fish, but the official Collins tragic death as well, doesn't I mean it's really done a knock on caucus morale. So this will be exactly what the Greens won't want. They'll want to be holding the government to account on a number of things. In Chloe Swarbrick is quickly learning that being a party leader isn't all smiles, handshakes and kissing babies. It's a lot of putting up fires and she's had to be a firefight of a forest fire that she never envisaged.

It's going to be tough for them to move on from this because it's not the first scandal of the year. I mean, of course, they had the Goldways Guaman scandal as well, that is still hanging over them as that has played out in court. I mean, obviously different kettle of fish, but the official Collins tragic death as well, doesn't I mean it's really done a knock on caucus morale. So this will be exactly what the Greens won't want. They'll want to be holding the government to account on a number of things. In Chloe Swarbrick is quickly learning that being a party leader isn't all smiles, handshakes and kissing babies. It's a lot of putting up fires and she's had to be a firefight of a forest fire that she never envisaged.

Thanks for joining us, Jason. That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage at enzet Herald dot co dot z. The Front Page is produced by Ethan Siles with sound engineer Patty Fox. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.

Thanks for joining us, Jason. That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage at enzet Herald dot co dot z. The Front Page is produced by Ethan Siles with sound engineer Patty Fox. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.