There is a very fine line between being highly principled and high-and-mighty. And I think the Green Party has crossed that line. 

Even though the Greens think their now-ex list MP Darleen Tana is so bad that they want her out of Parliament altogether, and even though there is legislation that would enable them to make that happen, we’ve got this circus and the public pleading for her to resign. Simply because it would mean using a law that they never wanted in the first place. 

A law that former co-leader James Shaw famously described as a "dead rat" the party had to swallow and support’ as part of its confidence and supply agreement with the former Labour/NZ First coalition government. 

But so what? I’d forgive you Chlöe. Yes, it could look a little bit hypocritical. It could look a bit two-faced. But so what? 

So the report on the investigation into claims Darleen Tana was aware of complaints of migrant exploitation at her husband’s bike shop business has finally been delivered to the Greens.  

And, over the weekend, there were meetings left, right and centre —and yesterday— they announced that Darleen Tana was no longer one of them. 

But that wasn’t all. They also pleaded with her publicly to quit parliament altogether because they feel “utterly betrayed” and they don’t think she is fit to be an MP. 

And this morning, co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick went next level and told Newstalk ZB that Darleen Tana is a liar. 

So she’s quit the party. But can remain in Parliament as an independent MP and is already kicking up a fuss saying she's been hard done by and is not prepared to accept the investigation's findings. 

The Greens do have an ace up their sleeve - the waka-jumping legislation. Which they reluctantly supported back in the day when Labour and NZ First were running the shop. And which they also, subsequently, tried to get rid of, in cahoots with National. 

But it still exists and it's still available to them and, in my opinion, they should take full advantage and get this person they’ve been betrayed by and who they think isn’t fit to be an MP, out of the place sooner rather than later. 

The process they would have to follow would be writing to Tana herself and telling her that if she remains in Parliament (after resigning from the party) she will distort the Green Party’s proportionality in Parliament (as determined at the election). 

Tana would then have 21 working days to respond, after which the Greens’ caucus would consider the matter. And if at least two-thirds of the caucus agreed, they could then write to the Speaker asking for the law to be invoked, and she would be gone-burger. 

And I think that is exactly what they should be doing. 

Darleen Tana is not the first politician to be called a liar. She is not the first politician to quit their party.  

But if the Greens genuinely believe she is not fit to be an MP, then they need to stop all the shenanigans, stop all the high-and-mighty nonsense and get on with it. 

They might not like the waka-jumping law. But I suspect they like Darleen Tana even less. 

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