Online poll to decide Harawira's new party name

Hone Harawira said Tariana Turia had apologised to him privately a few months ago. File photo / Northern Advocate

Hone Harawira plans to hold an online poll to search for a name for a possible new party to be confirmed by the end of the month.

Mr Harawira has been meeting with supporters across the Te Tai Tokerau electorate to gauge support for a new party. He has been given untill the 30th of this month to inform them whether he will form a new party or not.

"It's looking very likely," he told Newstalk ZB this morning.

Mr Harawira, who quit the Maori Party last month in opposition of the party's leadership and close relationship with the National Party-led Government, said each of the meetings had been organised by Maori Party members.

"There is a huge disaffection with the Maori Party," he said.

"Not everyone likes me ... for some reason [but] they don't like the way in which I was treated by the Maori Party. They don't consider it to be the Maori way. They don't like the Marine and Coastal Areas [Act]. They do think we are too close to Maori."

Mr Harawira said he had yet to compile a party list for a potential new party, nor does it have a name. He said he would launch an online and phone poll for supporters to give their suggestions.

"If we are going to end up with a new party we need to have a name understandable to most and acceptable to most."

Mr Harawira is confident the party would draw at least three or four MPs, and would not be a one-man-army.

"That would be a sad look, eh ... to look like Jim Anderton or Peter Dunne," he said.