Disciplinary action to start against Harawira

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira about to enter a Te Tai Tokerau Electorate Committee meeting on the Whakapara Marae north of Hikurangi. Photo / NZPA

Ructions in the Maori Party are to continue with a disciplinary hearing against Hone Harawira to be held in the second week of February.

The party wanted yesterday's hui in Mr Harawira's electorate to resolve a complaint against him, but the way it was handled means the dispute and resulting divisions will fester for some time.

The party's national council today said it had decided the complaint could not be resolved at a local level and it had been referred to the council's disciplinary and disputes committee.

The electorate committee which organised yesterday's hui added to the confusion today by saying it had partly resolved the issue by dismissing the complaint and considered a meeting with Mr Harawira's critics would be "the second step".

With the situation as it stands, the council will have the final say in what punishment Mr Harawira gets if the complaint is upheld by the disputes committee, with options ranging from censure to expulsion and which may impact on whether he is selected to stand at this year's general election.

Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell complained over Mr Harawira's criticism in a newspaper article of the party's support for the Government and policies he said were anti-Maori.

Mr Harawira's Te Tai Tokerau electorate yesterday held a hui that was meant to discuss the complaint but as key critics were not invited, it ended up being a support rally for the MP which ended with a call for the complaint to be dismissed.

Party president Pem Bird told NZPA this morning that the council, minus the co-leaders, had discussed the issue for hours last night before reaching its decision.

Te Tai Tokerau had been given several days to resolve the complaint at electorate level, and an extension, but after yesterday's events both the council and Mr Flavell felt resolution at that level was not possible, Mr Bird said.

"At the end of the day it's about fairness."

A committee of five to hear the complaint was yet to be selected, he said.

It would consist of "people who are fair, people who are impartial, people who have the skills and experience to do the job and do it fairly and ensure everyone's best interests are safeguarded in the process."

Mr Bird hoped the first hearing could be held during the week starting February 7.

He would not comment on what penalties could be imposed if the complaint was upheld and said the party was taking advice on that.

"This is an opportunity to actually focus on the substance of the complaint, and that hasn't been done."

Under the party's constitution, members are not allowed to bring the party or members "into public disrepute".

The constitution says members have to work to support the party and obey the constitution.

"The National Council may decline or cancel any membership that the Council believes does not meet the criteria."

Emails between Mr Bird and Mr Harawira's electorate show increasingly tense exchanges, and in its written decision the party made it clear that it considered Mr Harawira's handling of the complaint and public comments could also be interpreted as bringing the party or its members into disrepute.

Mr Harawira did not return NZPA calls today, but this morning he told Radio New Zealand he thought the decision to refer him to the disciplinary body was hasty and his electorate had wanted a meeting with the national council.

"What we are talking about there, the national executive, is half a dozen people in a party of 25,000. Now I can absolutely guarantee... that if there's 25,000 in the Maori Party, 24,500 of them are not expecting to see one of their MPs thrown out in election year," he said.

Mr Harawira said the National Government's interests were being served.

"I certainly think that the National Party's interests are better served by having their coalition partner docile, quiet and alongside them doing the sorts of things that National would like to see them do. Smiling with John Key and not making any ructions."

- NZPA