BROADCASTS.com

After spending 114 days, more than half her Parliamentary career, suspended, Darleen Tana was defiant after she left the\xa0Green Party over the weekend, jumping before she was pushed.\xa0\xa0

She remains as an MP for now, unless she heeds the plea of\xa0Green\xa0co-leader Chl\xf6e Swarbrick to \u201cplease resign\u201d from\xa0Parliament\xa0altogether, or the Greens decide to invoke the waka-jumping bill, controversial among party members \u2013 and which the Greens had tried to repeal as recently as three years ago.\xa0\xa0

After going to ground, Tana released a statement on Monday evening, saying she did \u201cnot accept\u201d the findings of an independent report into allegations involving her connections to alleged migrant exploitation at her husband\u2019s bike company. Tana said\xa0she was \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d by the way the Greens had summarised its findings.\xa0

\u201cThe report does not say that migrant exploitation has occurred, let alone that I am responsible for it in any capacity,\u201d Tana said.\xa0

Tana said she did not have \u201cnatural justice\u201d and the party had a \u201cpre-determined view\u201d 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\u2019s conduct fell \u201cfar short of the expectations\u201d set for Green MPs.\xa0

Tana then left the meeting to allow the caucus to debate and decide on her fate. Before the caucus could decide, Tana quit.\xa0

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told Newstalk ZB\u2019s Andrew Dickens that the scandal was a \u201cdisgrace\u201d.\xa0

He said he thought she \u201cprobably won\u2019t\u201d leave parliament, and would instead join the Te P\u0101ti M\u0101ori.\xa0

\u201cShe\u2019s still there, and she should not be there, in the sense that everybody should be accountable and she\u2019s not.\u201d\xa0

Peters claimed the Greens were \u201cnot doing everything they can\u201d to ensure she leaves Parliament.\xa0

\u201dThey could expel her\u2026 they could make it very clear that she is no longer a member of their party.\u201d\xa0

Christopher Luxon is making a crucial visit to the United States, during a crucial time for the world.\xa0

The Prime Minister is due to touch down in Washington DC this afternoon.\xa0

On his agenda are meetings with Nato leaders and influential Republican law maker Ted Cruz.\xa0

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told Dickens the visit comes during a time of huge uncertainty for the western world.\xa0

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.\xa0

LISTEN ABOVE\xa0

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.