Harawira decision delayed but new poll wants MP to quit

A decision on Maori Party MP Hone Harawira's fate has been put off until tomorrow but it looks increasingly likely he will return to the fold.

That will go against public sentiment with a new poll showing most people think Mr Harawira made racist comments for which he should leave Parliament.

A two-day hui at Whangarei to discuss the MP's future role ended yesterday afternoon with a decision to refer the dispute to the Maori Party caucus meeting in Wellington tomorrow.

The decision of caucus would be final, said party president Whatarangi Winiata, who emerged from yesterday's meeting side-by-side with a smiling Mr Harawira.

Mr Harawira's future with the party has been in question, after his "white motherf......." comment in an email, a reaction to criticism of his unauthorised trip to Paris while on a parliamentary trip to Europe.

The MP refused to be interviewed yesterday but he appeared confident when he said tomorrow's resolution would be "fair, just, appropriate and final. We will report fully on the outcome later this week ... I'm looking forward to the discussions with my caucus colleagues".

Previously Professor Winiata had suggested that Mr Harawira should become an independent MP. However, he said that had been rejected by Mr Harawira's constituents - "Tai Tokerau made it abundantly clear they don't want it".

Professor Winiata said there was no deadlock and said the parties most closely involved over the last few weeks would be at the meeting and "it doesn't have to go beyond Tuesday".

Yesterday's TV One Colmar Brunton poll found 77 per cent believed Mr Harawira's comments were racist while only 16 per cent did not. The remainder did not know.

For Pakeha, 81 per cent found the comments racist compared with 61 per cent of Maori. Most, 69 per cent, thought Mr Harawira should not remain in Parliament while 23 per cent thought he should stay.

Last week party co-leader Pita Sharples said Mr Harawira was likely to remain in the party but might face a period of suspension from caucus.

"Given what's happened of course an apology to New Zealand, [for his] various statements and behaviour would be the minimum," Dr Sharples said.

"If he's going to come back in the party eventually we'd have to be working together as a caucus. We need his expertise."

Yesterday Labour leader Phil Goff told TVNZ's Marae programme: "If a member of my caucus stood up and used that sort of offensive and insulting and I believe racist language against another group they wouldn't be in my caucus. What offends me most of all in that is this was about pure self-interest, he skived off to take a holiday in Paris while the taxpayer was paying."

The poll of 1000 voters was conducted between November 21 and 25. .

- NZPA