It’s not over yet, but just maybe there is light at the end of the Darleen Tana drama tunnel. Please let it be.  

The Green Party has their own uniquely democratic and patient way of reaching a decision, but seven months and running to get this sorted is surely testing even their limits.

It was good this week to see a consensus of delegates agree to using the waka-jumping law - or the electoral integrity clause in the Electoral Act - to eject Tana. The co-leaders have now written to Speaker Gerry Brownlee, asking him to trigger the law and eject her from Parliament.  

This issue has been a huge drag for the party, and good on them for their change of heart. They would obviously prefer not to be in this position, but they recognise this is the quickest way of getting to what they believe is the right outcome - the removal of Tana from Parliament.

It’s been a year of dealing with HR setbacks and issues for the Greens - the resignation of Golriz Ghahraman at the beginning of the year, followed by the election for a new co-leader after James Shaw’s resignation, and multiple complaints about Julie Anne Genter’s behaviour. But the most damaging and long running distraction has been the removal of a list MP they found to be completely at odds with the parties values, policies or Kaupapa.  

For a very principled party, it’s not a good look to reverse their opposition to the party jumping law since the first version was passed in 2001.  

But the Greens aren’t the first, and won’t be the last party, to about-face on a law or policy.  Flexibility about principles is not something that comes as naturally to the Greens as other political parties, but it has always been part of politics.

And let’s be honest, an independent report didn’t work. Letters and public appeals from the Greens' leaders didn’t work. Talking about how Tana had distorted the proportionality of the house didn’t work. Public opinion hasn’t worked. If it wasn’t so self-serving, you’d admire Tana’s tenacity in refusing to go.  

So the Greens have been left with little choice but to embraced the ugly old party-hopping law. Of course it’s not over yet. There is still an appeal to sort out, and then it’s up to the Speaker.  

Even though this crazy year hasn’t significantly impacted the Greens in the polls, they will be keen to put this behind them. They can then get on with Swarbrick's plan to evolve the Greens into a party that can lead the government in the not so distant future.  

• Green Party to use Waka-Jumping law to eject Darleen Tana from Parliament
• Darleen Tana appeals, but Greens continue process to oust her
• Greens to vote on waka-jumping Darleen Tana as MP mulls appeal
• Darleen Tana's lawyer says Greens broke own constitution
• Overnight deal buys Darleen Tana more time, but Greens keen to 'move on'

And no doubt this cautionary tale will have all political parties quietly mulling over how to make sure their processes for selecting list candidates are as robust as they can be.  

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