Winston Peters: Deputy Prime Minister on the Darleen Tana situation, Christopher Luxon's visit to the United States

After spending 114 days, more than half her Parliamentary career, suspended, Darleen Tana was defiant after she left the Green Party over the weekend, jumping before she was pushed.   She remains as an MP for now, unless she heeds the plea of Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick to “please resign” from Parliament altogether, or the Greens decide to invoke the waka-jumping bill, controversial among party members – and which the Greens had tried to repeal as recently as three years ago.   After going to ground, Tana released a statement on Monday evening, saying she did “not accept” the findings of an independent report into allegations involving her connections to alleged migrant exploitation at her husband’s bike company. Tana said she was “deeply concerned” by the way the Greens had summarised its findings.  “The report does not say that migrant exploitation has occurred, let alone that I am responsible for it in any capacity,” Tana said.  Tana said she did not have “natural justice” and the party had a “pre-determined view” of what it wanted to do with her. Tana quit the party after a long caucus meeting on Sunday at which she was given the chance to respond to the conclusions of the report. Swarbrick said the report showed Tana’s conduct fell “far short of the expectations” set for Green MPs.  Tana then left the meeting to allow the caucus to debate and decide on her fate. Before the caucus could decide, Tana quit.  Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told Newstalk ZB’s Andrew Dickens that the scandal was a “disgrace”.  He said he thought she “probably won’t” leave parliament, and would instead join the Te Pāti Māori.  “She’s still there, and she should not be there, in the sense that everybody should be accountable and she’s not.”  Peters claimed the Greens were “not doing everything they can” to ensure she leaves Parliament.  ”They could expel her… they could make it very clear that she is no longer a member of their party.”  Christopher Luxon is making a crucial visit to the United States, during a crucial time for the world.  The Prime Minister is due to touch down in Washington DC this afternoon.  On his agenda are meetings with Nato leaders and influential Republican law maker Ted Cruz.  Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told Dickens the visit comes during a time of huge uncertainty for the western world.  He says the escalating war in Ukraine will be of huge concern for Nato countries, and the US, French and UK elections have all been going through pivotal elections.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.