The Green Party candidate for Tauranga says she "100 per cent" stands behind her party's co-leader Metiria Turei, who is refusing to resign after two party members stood down.
Emma-Leigh Hodge told the Bay of Plenty Times that the Green Party and its caucus are working through "this most recent blip".
Green MPs Kennedy Graham and David Clendon yesterday night signalled their intention to withdraw from the party's caucus, prompting a move to expel them following an ultimatum over Ms Turei's leadership.
The two will stay on as Green MPs until the election, but will not take part in any caucus events or campaigning. In a statement, co-leader James Shaw said the decision was supported by all 12 of the other MPs.
Ms Hodge, the Green Party's 26-year-old candidate for Tauranga, said both MPs had committed a lot of time over the years to the party and "had some really great wins in the Green Party as well".
"I respect their right to disagree with Metiria's stance, but I personally 100 per cent stand behind her and think the conversation we've started around welfare absolutely needed to happen," Ms Hodge said.
"I'm a little disappointed at the way they've gone about making those views known because I'm quite proud of the internal processes and the democratic way our party usually works, and this isn't that."
Asked if she thought this would hurt the party's campaign, Ms Hodge replied: "I don't think so, no. I really hope that people will be able to look past what I think James [Shaw] last night described as a blip, an undeniable blip."
She said a lot of politics is around the communication of policies and, if not for Ms Turei's story, "our policy package would not have gotten nearly as much air time as it has".
"That's come with some bad, absolutely, but what I'm hearing overwhelmingly on the ground is a lot of good. A lot of people are thanking us for doing this and for her standing up and being a true representative MP."
Ms Hodge said her position on the Green Party list would not change in any meaningful way.
"My team and I are focused on increasing the Green vote, not getting me specifically into Parliament."
Meanwhile, Tauranga and National Party MP Simon Bridges said this is a "real issue" for the Greens and coalition partner, Labour.
"These parties are joined at the hip through a memorandum of understanding on almost everything they do," Mr Bridges said.
"And so while Labour will try to make this as if it's nothing to do with them, I think they need to take a view on whether they can work with Metiria Turei.
"She herself has ruled herself out as a minister, so doing that's not much."
He said he thought the people of Tauranga would want to know whether Labour could work with Ms Turei in government and that the local candidates should also outline their position on that.
"Firstly if they agree with Metiria Turei and her ongoing justifications of both her benefit fraud and benefit fraud more generally, which she seems to think there's no problem with, or whether they agree with Kennedy Graham and David Clendon, who've spoken out about lying to public agencies and the undermining of public trust here.
"And secondly ... whether they think they can work with Metiria Turei, because I think the people of Tauranga will be incredibly interested to know that."
Ms Hodge said the memorandum of understanding between Labour and the Greens is working "extremely well" in general.
"We certainly get along and work together very well, locally as well."
Labour Party candidate for Tauranga, Jan Tinetti, said she did not think these events would affect her party's local campaign.
"My focus is on local and it's certainly not going to make any strain or any difference to what we do locally or our relationship with Emma-Leigh."
She said they have a very good relationship with Ms Hodge.
"We see her at events and things like that and we'll keep up that good relationship ..."