By DANIEL JACKSON
The mother of the woman at the centre of the sex allegations made against Labour MP Dover Samuels tried to confront him at a hui at the weekend but says he brushed her aside.
Beverly Rako says she hitchhiked from Wellington to Waitangi for the hui - called to discuss Mr Samuels' future after the Prime Minister sacked him as Maori Affairs Minister - because he had said on television that he wanted to face his accusers.
"I eyeballed him right through and then I went to him and said,'I'm here, what do you want to say,' and he just pushed me away."
She continued trying to speak to him and began shouting as he and his family walked away.
A Maori warden asked Mrs Rako to leave but outside the marae gate she continued shouting as the Samuels drove away.
Mr Samuels said neither he nor his family wanted anything to do with Mrs Rako. "Her saying she came up here because I wanted to eyeball her is all bullshit. It's on record that I've spoken to her."
He said he had reported the incident to the police. Detectives have already found that Mr Samuels has no case to answer over claims that Mrs Rako's daughter was under age when he had a relationship with her in the mid-1980s.
About 60 people, mainly elders of Mr Samuels' Ngapuhi tribe, were at Te Tii Marae for the hui.
The Te Tai Tokerau MP said later that he would stand at the next election - provided the support he received from the hui remained.
"I will be serving this term out and we will see what the political landscape is at the end of this term as to whether I stand again. But at this particular time there is nothing to suggest I would be stepping down."
Some at the hui wanted him to form his own party or join another, others wanted him to quit as an MP. But most seemed to want Mr Samuels to stay with Labour and work for his electorate.
The hui resolved to ask Prime Minister Helen Clark to face the tribe and explain the sacking.
Marae chairman Kingi Taurua said the sex claims had hurt Ngapuhi. Many might now vote against the Government. If Helen Clark did not front up, the tribe might never invite her to Waitangi again.
The Te Tai Tokerau MP was sacked from his Maori Affairs job by Prime Minister Helen Clark in June after allegations about his past.
A police inquiry into a claim he had sex with an underage girl in the mid-1980s found no case to answer.
About 60 people, mainly elders of Mr Samuels' Ngapuhi tribe that makes up a large part of his Maori electorate, gathered at the Te Tii Marae at Waitangi to discuss his future.
While there was much discussion on his treatment by the Government , it was clear the majority at the hui still backed him.
Mr Samuels later told the Herald that he would stay with the Labour Government.
"I will be serving this term out and we will see what the political landscape is at the end of this term as to whether I stand again. But at this particular time there is nothing to suggest I would be stepping down."
Some at the hui wanted him to leave Labour and form his own party or join another, others wanted him to quit as an MP. But most seemed to want Mr Samuels to stay with Labour and work for his electorate.
"I voted for you as a Labour MP and I want you to stay there and be accountable for my vote," one man said. Others were angry at the way the Government and Helen Clark had treated Mr Samuels..
His former campaign manager Shane Te Pou said he would give up his Labour membership unless there was reconciliation between Mr Samuels and the Prime Minister.
The hui resolved to ask Helen Clark to face the tribe and explain Mr Samuels' sacking.
Marae chairman Kingi Taurua said the sex claims had also hurt Ngapuhi. Many might vote against the Government at the next election.
If Helen Clark did not front up to the tribe, it would consider never inviting her to Waitangi again.
Beverly Rako, the mother of the woman at the centre of the claims against Mr Samuels, says he refused to speak to her at the hui. She told the Herald she had hitchhiked from Wellington to attend as Mr Samuels had said on television he wanted to face his accusers.
Accuser fronts up to Samuels
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