Harawira likely to be expelled from Maori Party

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Hone Harawira is likely to be booted out of the Maori Party after a committee deciding his fate recommended to cancel his membership.

The Disciplinary and Disputes committee met yesterday to try and resolve the complaint made by Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell after the Tai Tokerau MP published an article in a Sunday newspaper critical of the cosy relationship his party had with National.

In a statement, comittee chairwoman Te Orohi Paul said Mr Harawira had many opportunities to respond to the complaint and had said a "great deal". His electorate had sought and been granted several extensions to the resolution process and Mr Harawira had been accorded full rights to natural justice.

"The Committee is required by clause 11.3 of the Maori Party constitution to "act swiftly" to seek resolution of the complaint, in accordance with the kaupapa of the Maori Party and its constitution.

"Accordingly, with great sadness, and after many hours of deliberation, a quorum of the Committee resolved unanimously that the complaint was not resolved at the hearing or at any of the previous hearings, and that there did not appear to be any way of resolving the complaint besides cancelling Mr Harawira's membership of the Maori Party."

- NZ Herald staff

The M?ori Party National Council is the only body capable of taking a decision to cancel party membership, Ms Paul said.

"The Committee has therefore referred the complaint back to the M?ori Party National Council, together with a full report of its resolution."

Ms Orohi will brief the National Council when it meets tomorrow and go through all of the responses and evidence submitted by the parties.

Mr Harawira has been advised of the outcome but a response was not immediately available.