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The Greens are supporting Hone Harawira's unauthorised trip to Australia's Northern Territory but MPs from other parties have criticised his controversial foray into another country's affairs.
The Maori Party MP went to Victoria with other members of Parliament's justice and electoral select committee, but two days into the four-day trip he took off on his own.
Instead of studying Victoria's laws on election spending and victims rights, he went to Aboriginal camps with a film crew in tow.
Parliament's Speaker, Margaret Wilson, is expecting a report from the Clerk's Office next week about Mr Harawira's trip.
The Green Party's Maori affairs spokeswoman Metiria Turei said today he had done the right thing.
"The situation Hone went to see and discuss with the people affected is one of the most serious setbacks in Australia's relationship with indigenous peoples in decades, and Hone can now give New Zealanders a first hand report on just what is happening up there," she said.
Nandor Tanczos, the Green's representative on the select committee's trip, said he backed Mr Harawira "100 percent".
"The committee is doing important work, but indigenous rights is core business for him and human rights is one of the subject areas of the committee in any case," Mr Tanczos said.
Mr Harawira last month described Australian Prime Minister John Howard as "a racist bastard" for his decision to send in the military to sort out problems in the Aboriginal communities.
In the last two days he has told Australian media Mr Howard has "introduced a level of racism in the Northern Territory unseen in the whole of the South Pacific".
New Zealand First MP Ron Mark, who raised Mr Harawira's trip in Parliament this week, questioning his right to leave a select committee trip and asking whether he was paying for it himself.
Mr Mark said Mr Harawira was severely criticising the Australian Government while there were child abuse issues to deal with at home.
Labour's Maori MPs Dover Samuels and Shane Jones also criticised Mr Harawira for "making a scene" in Australia while there were problems in New Zealand he should be addressing.
Mr Harawira has said he paid the fare himself and was being hosted by Aboriginal communities.
Aboriginal leader Pat Turner said today he had been invited to visit Alice Springs.
"We're very pleased he was able to come...we hope his colleagues on the select committee won't penalise him for that," she said on Radio New Zealand.
Ms Turner said Mr Harawira's visit had increased publicity about the plight of the communities.
The MP has also been praised by an organisation called International Indigenous Solidarity.
"We should thank Hone for exposing the land grab by the Howard government," it said yesterday.
"We are worried at the silence to the land grab from people in New Zealand, all the way to the top of government."
It held a rally outside Parliament today with placards saying "Hone is our Hero" but only four people turned up.
- NZPA
