Turia denounces Harawira as lacking respect

Hone Harawira said yesterday he intended to stay with the Maori Party. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia attacked Hone Harawira on the eve of his disciplinary hearing, saying he had no respect for the party or its leaders.

"He has no respect for our authority. He has no respect for this environment. He doesn't have any respect for the coalition agreement that we all signed up to and that we all agreed to. And he has no respect for the party itself," she told 3 News.

Mrs Turia had until yesterday kept a low profile because she is thought within the party to be the driving force to have Mr Harawira removed.

Her comments will leave the party's disciplinary committee and National Council, which will decide Mr Harawira's fate by the end of the week, in no doubt she has lost confidence in him.

Mr Harawira was suspended from the party caucus this week and today faces a disciplinary hearing that he may not attend, and does not respect.

Yesterday he said he intended to stay with the party and stand in the November election, but he continued to criticise the coalition with National.

Mrs Turia and co-leader Pita Sharples said the door was still open for him to return - but he would have to change his ways.

Mr Harawira remained defiant, calling for "this whole mess to be set aside, cancel the lawyer, save the money, drop the disciplinary procedures, set the suspension aside, disappear on to a marae - and don't come out till it's all been sorted out".

The party had become a "meek and accommodating coalition partner".

"We have been swallowed up by the National juggernaut. We are seen as merely the Maori face of a Government that is hurting Maori people."

Mrs Turia rejected his olive branch of seeking a solution on the marae.

"We've tried kaupapa and tikanga ... frankly, none of it worked. We've tried everything," she told RadioLive.

She then used her first parliamentary speech of the year to confront Mr Harawira's allegations that the party had neglected Maori by not opposing government policies - such as the GST rise - more forcefully. "We have put the case in all the vigour that our people expected of us," she said.

Mr Harawira would not say what he would do if expelled, or whether he would accept the result of the disciplinary process.

Meanwhile, Labour is licking its lips at the turmoil, and pushing for the Maori vote by painting the party as National's compliant lapdog. MP Shane Jones said the Maori Party consistently stood by National, and labelled as "pathetic and farcical" Dr Sharples' comments that the Maori Party was the last chance for an authentic Maori voice in Parliament.

THE CASE AGAINST HONE

THE PROSECUTION

* Undermines the Maori Party leadership:

Shows little respect for party co-leaders and openly talks of replacing them. In a speech at Waitangi on Saturday he said: "When our leadership starts to slip, shift them, shift them and replace them with people who have more vigour and [are] more willing to do something about it."

* Lacks discipline essential to modern political parties:

Increasingly critical of the party in public and has promised to be more so during election year. Spent hours writing and rewriting the January newspaper column that formed the basis of the complaint to the party.

Causes offence:

In a Facebook page he referred to "dickheads" in the party trying to get rid of him; in private emails referred to white motherf *****s" who had been "raping our land". Says he doesn't want his kids dating Pakeha.

THE DEFENCE

* Is a true representative:

As a left-wing activist, makes the Maori Party the broad church it is, and has a following not just in the north but of younger voters.

* Can make a positive difference:

A role model and fearless campaigner against alcohol and tobacco, culminating in the select committee inquiry into tobacco.

THE PROCESS

Five-member party discipline and disputes committee chaired by co vice-president Te Orohi Paul starts meeting today at a Wellington hotel to conduct hearings into the complaint made by MP Te Ururoa Flavell. Has asked Harawira to attend. Members include Ken Mair and non-member and Waikato law lecturer Matiu Dickson. Decisions are by vote. Recommendations passed to party's National Council to accept or reject, on Friday or Saturday.

THE PARTY'S OPTIONS

Expulsion, suspension, censure, negotiated settlement or no action.

- Audrey Young