May 08, 2023
Kerekere walk ends ‘crybaby’ chat probe
Parliament’s cross-benches are filling up, with list MP Elizabeth Kerekere quitting the Green Party on Friday evening.
Dr Kerekere told the party she intends to sit as an independent MP until the October election, when she will retire.
She could be sitting next to Meka Whaitiri, who quit as a Labour Party minister on Wednesday to join the Māori Party.
The Green Party says it won’t invoke the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Act to remove Dr Kerekere from Parliament.
The party had been investigating her group chat in early April to a group of Green Party MPs and staff where she appeared to call Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick a “crybaby”.
Co-leader Marama Davidson says that inquiry uncovered a number of other allegations about her conduct towards other Green Party MPs, staff and members that fell short of the party’s values.
Before the controversy, Green Party delegates has ranked Dr Kerekere fourth on its indicative list ranking for the 2023 election.
The resignation means the inquiry into Dr Kerekere is now over.