At the party’s annual meeting yesterday, Cr Marie Laufiso read a letter to its leaders, saying along with Pasifika Greens Alofa Aiono and Vasemaca Tavola she had resigned from the party.
This follows Tana’s resignation from the Greens after an independent party review of allegations linking them to migrant exploitation at their husband’s business.
In the letter, the Pasifika party members said the Greens co-leaders had "inflamed and weaponised media narratives, intentionally smearing Darleen’s character, integrity and mana."
It said the leaders were forcing the party to consider invoking the "party-hopping" Act in a rush because of the party’s budget, not because of Tana’s alleged poor treatment of migrant workers.
Cr Laufiso said the Pasifika Greens were "culturally unsafe" and "voiceless".
"Having suffered from and witnessed actions that have diminished, demeaned, and disempowered our cultural, spiritual and familial wellbeing, Alofa Aiono, Vasemaca Tavola and I tender our immediate resignation from the Green Party."
Cr Laufiso told the Otago Daily Times she had read the letter on behalf of a collective and did not want to comment as an individual.
Yesterday, party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick said she and co-leader Marama Davidson had told Tana that the MP was acting in a way that distorted the proportionality of political party representation.
On September 1, delegates will vote on whether the Electoral Integrity Act should be enacted.
