Sacking Harawira 'snub to Ngapuhi'

Hone Harawira. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira will be "martyred" by party leaders in what amounts to a dangerous snub to Maoridom's largest tribe, Ngapuhi, says Labour MP Shane Jones.

And while Mr Harawira has pointed out he survived disciplinary proceedings by the party in the wake of his "white motherf***ers"' comments in 2009, Mr Jones said: "I don't think this time around the environment will be quite that gentle."

The Te Tai Tokerau electorate committee has until Thursday to try to resolve a complaint against its MP by other Maori Party MPs.

But the party's council has the right to take Mr Harawira before a disputes body which could dismiss him anyway, says constitutional lawyer Mai Chen, who is advising the party.

Mr Jones said: "It is an attempt on their part to dismiss Hone."

Mr Harawira insists his concerns about the coalition with National, the Coastal and Marine Areas (Takutai Moana) Bill, and the party's overall direction are overwhelmingly shared by rank and file members.

Mr Jones said Mr Harawira was right.

"What Hone is doing is giving voice to the concerns coming from Maoridom's largest tribe, Ngapuhi."

With Mr Harawira unlikely to back down, the Maori Party was effectively faced with a choice between Ngapuhi and its National Party coalition partners. It would choose National "without a doubt" in what would be "a gigantic snub" to the tribe.

"The majority of the tribe's members live in Auckland and they know that their daily circumstances have got worse since the Maori Party promised to improve their prospects by joining National."

Maori Party president Pem Bird said yesterday that the complaint was against Mr Harawira, not Ngapuhi.