Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has confirmed the party’s special general meeting (SGM), postponed until last week’s High Court ruling, will now be held in mid-October.
“This special general meeting will discuss the potential use of provisions in the Electoral Act, informally known as the party-hopping law, in the case of Darleen Tana,” Swarbrick said.
Tana, a former Green MP, was stood down in March over allegations of migrant abuse at her husband’s bike business.
A subsequent independent investigation into those claims prompted the Green Party to request her resignation from Parliament but not before she resigned from the party to become an independent MP.
She launched a High Court challenge against the Green Party’s investigation into her conduct, forcing the party to abandon a meeting with the membership in which it would have decided whether to invoke the waka-jumping legislation that would prevent Tana from moving to another party.
The challenge failed last Friday, giving the party the green light to move ahead with the meeting.
Swarbrick said notices have been sent to branches across the country to help plan meetings and finalise delegates.
“Any use of this legislation will require consensus or at least 75% support from delegates. We will honour the decision of our grassroots members,” Swarbrick said.
The Green Party previously teamed up with the National Party in an attempt to repeal the legislation in 2020.
