Maori Party shouldn't ape others - Harawira

Hone Harawira. Photo / Richard Robinson

Under fire Maori Party MP Hone Harawira has hit back after one of the party's co-leaders suggested he would have to go if the MP didn't toe the party line.

Mr Harawira has continued to make comments critical of the party and its direction, even after a complaint was laid by fellow MP Te Ururoa Flavell following a critical Sunday Star-Times article by Mr Harawira.

The party's disciplinary committee is due to meet Mr Harawira on Wednesday to try to resolve the issue.

Yesterday, party co-leader Pita Sharples told reporters if Mr Harawira continued to buck caucus discipline, there was little choice but to dump him.

"It's up to Hone. If he wants to be a free spirit, perhaps that's what he should be. Cut himself loose and be the free spirit that he wants to be."

The division was putting the party at risk of falling to the fate of other Maori-based parties such as Mana Motuhake that quickly failed, Dr Sharples said.

"Now we have this last chance. I believe if this doesn't work, if the Maori Party cannot establish itself as a bona fide credible partner in a government, then our chance is gone and probably there will never be another Maori party. So there's a lot of responsibility on our shoulders.

"If we fail, we may have closed the door on a strong Maori voice in Parliament forever."

But Mr Harawira told Radio New Zealand this morning he had no intention of curbing his public comments.

"I sincerely hope we can come to a resolution of this that will allow Pete [Pita Sharples] and Tari [Tariana Turia] to lead this party through the election in a positive and meaningful way for all of Maori people and I still have the right to speak out on the issues that a lot of our people want to hear about."

Mr Harawira said the Maori Party was not an "ordinary, mainstream" political party and should not ape the rules and regulations of other parties.

"I think that the rules that are set down by caucuses by political parties are the kinds of structures that forced Tariana out of the Labour Party in the first place. And I don't think we should be aping the same procedures that forced Tariana out, keep Parekura [Horomia] and the rest of his colleagues quiet, that keep Tau Henare clamped down. I think the Maori Party should be far more open and honest and positive and outgoing in the way we deal with issues.

Dr Sharples said he saw Mr Harawira's "state of the Maori nation" address, presented an hour before Dr Sharples' own, as a challenge to him.

However, Mr Harawira said that was not the case.

"Mine was not a challenge to Pete [Pita Sharples] as the leader of the Maori Party. He is the leader and I respect that and I accept that."

Mr Harawira continued to stand by his previous comments and those published in the Sunday Star -Times last month.

"I've received literally hundreds of emails and messages of support, and not just Maori, Pakeha were saying things like 'gee, I wish my MP was as honest as you are'.

"I am a member of the Maori Party and I have been elected by Maori Party people and others in the electorate with the greatest Maori Party membership in the country.

"Now are they saying they are going to say to all of those members, some 5,000 of them in the Tai Tokerau, 'we don't care that you've chosen Hone to be your MP, we're going to get rid of him because we don't like him'."

Meanwhile the party's president Pem Bird has announced Dr Patu Hohepa of Te Taitokerau and Te Aotuhirangi Hale, kuia of Ngati Manawa and Ngati Pikiao will serve as pakeke, who will fulfil the tikanga role of Whakaruruhau/Tuara/Huruhuru, for this week's disciplinary committee.

Mr Bird said Pakeke were a "revered group of people" who were held in the highest esteem in the Maori world and would have the role of "upholding the integrity of the kaupapa tuku iho (guiding core values) of the Maori Party" during the hearing.

A final judgement on the complaint is expected to be in the hands of the National Council of the Maori Party by next Saturday at the latest, Mr Bird said.