Harawira compares Hide's demise to bin Laden's death

In a statement today, Hone Harawira compared the passing of Osama bin Laden to the demise of Rodney Hide's political career. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Hone Harawira has likened the passing of Osama bin Laden to the demise of Rodney Hide's political career in a statement to media today.

Harawira has copped criticism for describing the al Qaeda founder as "a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people" on Maori Television's Native Affairs last night.

The former Maori Party member twice paid tribute to bin Laden in te reo, saying it was Maori custom to acknowledge the dead.

In a statement to media, Harawira also paid tribute to Rodney Hide, who was last week publicly toppled as leader of the Act Party by former National leader Don Brash.

"Now I'm no great fan of Rodney Hide, or his party, or his policies, but his political demise should send shivers through those who purport to love democracy," he wrote.

"For all his obvious foibles, Rodney Hide not only brought Act back from the grave, he actually brought them back to the government table and got them two ministerial positions."

"And then what happens? Rising up out of his own grave comes Don Brash, a 70-year-old political corpse who lost a safe National seat 30 years ago, lost an election for National in 2005 and got dumped from the leadership in 2008. Brash meets with the Board of Act and gets them to dump Rodney as leader and give him the job.

"If that's pakeha politics, then no thanks ... Maori politics may be tough, but the personal humiliation and disgrace that Rodney Hide has had to endure has been really quite sickening.

"I ain't no great fan of Rodney Hide, and I ain't no great fan of Osama Bin Laden either. But you can't help but note their passing."