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Friday, August 30, 2024

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Have the Greens underestimated Darleen Tana?

Is anyone else getting the feeling the Greens have underestimated just how far Darleen Tana will go to to mess with them? 

I feel like they might have bit off a bit much with this one. Because so far - it’s 2-nil to Darleen.

She won the first round when she refused to quit Parliament. The Greens clearly thought that after they’d finished the report she’d just slink off in shame - but she refused to do that.


And she’s just won the second round today by forcing the party to cancel that meeting they were planning to have on Sunday where they were going to plot kicking her out of Parliament.

I'm actually impressed - this woman has got way more gumption than any of us thought.

And who knows where it goes from here? Because this is clearly not the end, from where I'm sitting there are at least two more rounds to come.

They're going to go to court in two weeks, that's another round - and then they'll have to actually, eventually trigger the waka-jumping law and kick her out.

By now, they must be dreading what she pulls out next.

I know I'm running against the grain on this one - but good on her.

I'm enjoying watching her make them squirm. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on her side, she’s weird - but the Greens deserve this.

They chose her. They were very happy to have Darleen on their list for the election, weren't they?

She was a nice married Māori lady from Auckland Central who owned a small business, she was someone nice people in Auckland Central who had money and small businesses could identify with and vote for.

They were happy to have her then - but they clearly didn't do the checks on her like they didn't do with a whole lot of other Green MPs who've since gone rogue.

They've got to live with their choices - and the big old fight one of their choices is bringing to them.

Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show HERE - where this article was sourced.

7 comments:

Robert Arthur said...

How much per hour do her lawyers charge? Is she at risk of costs from the opposing party also? Seems a huge financila gamble but I guess the salary is worth it. Can legal costs to retain a job be tax deducted against salary? She has exhibited may of the "qualities" which would make her well suited as a Maori Party prospect.

Anonymous said...

I gather, Heather, that Darlene is a they/them because 'she never travels alone'. All of them (that's including the Greens), so richly deserve each other, - just such a pity and an insult that we're paying for much of it.

Darlene clearly lacks a moral/ ethical compass, but at least this little stunt will now be costing her some of those ill-gotten gains and there's some irony in seeing the Greens squirm over their own self-inflicted stupidity.

Anonymous said...

The best part about this saga is everyone involved getting all tangled up in the rhetorical trickery of using farcical pronouns.
Good to see HDPA is not engaging with it.
And she’s right - Darleen has snookered the Greens. She’s clearly a lot more politically savvy than they gave her credit for. I hope she drags this saga out for as long as possible as that is a win for us all.



TJS said...

Since we are paying for it we may as well sit back and enjoy the show. And you are right Heather she does have a bit more gumption that we have given her credit for. Remarkable is that she's giving the nasty girls a bit of what they deserve eh? And that's not exclusive to just the women there. Oh dare I say 'women' even, in this context. Ah it's because they're kind of bullies really. Remember Albert Park?
And was Golriz set up?..... Elizabeth Kerekere....on an on OMG.

Now, don't underestimate Chlöe though but at the moment I think she's all out.🤷

Tom Logan said...

I just can't possibly see how it's 2-0 to Darleen Tanna, all I can see is her digging the hole she's in even deeper. Her and the Maori and Green parties in general.

What she displays is the arrogance and sense of entitlement we see so often from Maori politicians. No sense of responsibility for their wrong doing or incompetence. No sense of shame or guilt.

Just a desire to keep her nose in the taxpayers pocket as long as she can. Denying reality in a Trumpian way. Filing legal action at the last possible moment to get a few more taxpayer funded paychecks into her bank account.

Donna Awatere Huata, John Tamihere, Meka Whaitiri, Nanaia Mahuta, Elizabeth Kerekere, Willie Jackson, Debbie Ngarewa -Packer, Rawiri Waitete., Darleen Tanna .Spot the similariies ?

In the court of public opinon it's 10-0 against Darleen Tana.
Not that she cares. As long as there's a few more paychecks.

Anonymous said...

Bet Chloe stays awake at night regretting not displaying some form of leadership and ejecting Darleen months ago rather than waiting for the committee meeting

Anonymous said...

Tom Logan well said! Similarities? It’s pretty close to action replay.