Don't silence Hone, hui warns Maori leaders

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

MP Hone Harawira's electorate branch has sent a strong message to the Maori Party leadership that they face a prolonged battle if they want to oust Mr Harawira, accusing the party of insulting them and spending hard-earned fundraising money on a top lawyer.

After a five-hour hui yesterday, Mr Harawira's electorate committee called on the Maori Party to instantly dismiss the complaint laid against him by party whip Te Ururoa Flavell and backed by the rest of the caucus.

It also called for lawyer Mai Chen, who is advising the party on the process, to be dropped and the estimated $25,000 set aside to pay her be returned to the party.

About 100 people attended, including a busload of elders from Kaitaia. While most wanted Mr Harawira to stay with the party, there was also anger about the complaint laid by the caucus.

The MP has continued to criticise his party's relationship with National since the complaint and accuse the rest of the party of losing its identity. Rumours he could mount a leadership challenge are also increasing and he no longer rules it out.

Although there were banners at the hui saying "Change the leadership", electorate chairwoman Lisa McNabb refused to comment on it, saying the hui was solely to discuss the complaint.

The complaint related to comments Mr Harawira made in a newspaper column which questioned the direction the party had taken, the effectiveness of the co-leaders and the relationship with the National Party, which he said had resulted in the Maori Party effectively supporting policies that were bad for its people.

Mr Harawira did not speak after the hui. Instead Ms McNabb read a statement which said the electorate believed a select group of people in the party's hierarchy were trying to silence the MP from saying what Maori people believed.

"Hone speaks the truth and the truth should not be silenced." She said the party had insulted its biggest electorate by trying to undermine its integrity.

It is not the first time the Te Tai Tokerau electorate has gone head to head with the party organisation in defending their MP. It backed him when he faced disciplinary action over the "white motherf*****" email he wrote to former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere to defend a trip to Paris.

On that occasion there was an admission he had erred and Mr Harawira was encouraged to apologise. The statement issued yesterday was far more defiant, claiming the complaint was completely without basis.

Mr Flavell would not comment yesterday and Maori Party president Pem Bird said he had not yet received a copy of the statement and could not comment until he had read it.

The Maori Party's constitution sets out a process for complaints to be considered and it is likely further hui involving all sides will follow. None of those involved in the complaint process, including Mr Flavell, Mr Bird and mediator Ken Mair, were at the hui.