Harawira complaint hui postponed

Hone Harawira, Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A complaint laid against Hone Harawira by a fellow Maori Party MP is unlikely to be resolved for at least a week now that a planned hui has been postponed.

The complaint, laid by Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell, was supported by co-leaders Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia, as well as MP Rahui Katene, party president Pem Bird said.

It related to a column Mr Harawira wrote for the Sunday Star-Times newspaper at the weekend, in which he accused the caucus of being too wrapped up with National and reiterated his opposition to the Marine and Coastal Areas (Takutai Moana) Bill.

A hui involving both Mr Harawira and Mr Flavell had been planned for tomorrow, but Mr Bird said today that the meeting had been postponed until next Thursday, as the committee for Mr Harawira's Tai Tokerau electorate had asked for more time to consider the matter.

"We are happy for them to have that extension, keeping in mind that we need to resolve the issue as speedily as possible," Mr Bird told NZPA.

The venue for the hui had not been decided.

Dr Sharples today refused to comment specifically on the complaint, but rejected suggestions that the party has compromised its principles in its coalition with National.

"We're in a National Government that's why we have some sort of a relationship with them, a very strong relationship in terms of what we're able to achieve in a coalition kind of government, but that could apply to any other government," Dr Sharples told Radio New Zealand.

"We're not National and we oppose all this hard-hitting, heavy on crime issues and look more for solutions rather than looking at punitive results."

- NZPA