Mana Party bastion for left, says Sharples

Dr Sharples said that the Mana Party is not a Maori party. Photo / Steven McNicholl

The Maori Party co-leaders launched a renewed assault on Hone Harawira yesterday, calling his new party - the Mana Party - a bastion for the left rather than an advocate for Maori.

Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples took themselves to the forefront of the stoush questioning Mana Party policies which include strengthening unions and removing GST in favour of a financial transaction tax.

"We are a Maori party, they are not a Maori party," Dr Sharples said. "They seem to represent the unions and various other groups ... we're not left, we're not right. we're Maori."

At the weekend Mrs Turia condemned Mr Harawira's mother, Titewhai, for what she said was a tirade of abuse during a meeting on Waitangi's Te Tii Marae.

Yesterday, Mrs Turia said Mr Harawira would be an odd choice to represent the interests of the left.

"The Greens do that extremely well in Parliament right now, and I can't see how someone who has never represented those interests ever in his lifetime is now going to pick up on those interests and represent them here."

Mr Harawira, the MP for Te Tai Tokerau, and the Maori Party have traded verbal blows since he left the party and set up the Mana Party, following a falling out. Yesterday both sides accused the other of violating their agreement not to stand against each other in Maori electorate seats. Mr Harawira intends to resign from Parliament and force a byelection, and the Maori Party yesterday said it would stand a candidate if a byelection eventuated.

"We'll win. The people that came to see us represent iwi leadership ... there is a good following on the ground," Dr Sharples said.

Mr Harawira said he had yet to decide if the Mana Party would contest other Maori seats in November's election. He tried to paint the Maori Party as ready to get into bed with the Don Brash-led Act Party.

"The voters of Te Tai Tokerau have two clear choices; an un-named candidate whose party is happy to join Don Brash, or a candidate who has already stood up to Brash and has always shown a commitment to Maori rights."

But Mrs Turia said her party's relationship was with National, not Act, and she repeated her party's position that it was willing to work with both main parties to advance Maori issues.

The National Council for the Labour Party met last night to decide whether to stand a candidate in the byelection. Leader Phil Goff said he would like to see Labour contest it.