News Jaya

Harawira could quit

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira said that he might quit at the next election.

However he said he'd like to quit, not over his intemperate language and behaviour, but because National is too close to the Maori Party. Yet he can't stand Labour either. If he doesn't want to be in a party that seeks to be in power with either party, perhaps he should question why he desired to be an MP in the first place. Likewise, if Pita Sharples thinks that it is fine for Harawira to break rules like he does, he should think again.He said:

New Zealand has to weigh up the value of his intellect and his perception of issues as opposed to his odd rule breaking and that’s how it is.

I was told by someone in the Maori Party last night that had Harawira been a list MP, it is a strong possibility he would be gone ,as it would have been much easier to remove him. Harawira is not sorry for his language, he is only sorry if his e-mail "might have harmed the party". If harm is caused to the party, that is a breach of the constitution. Harawira is well aware of the Maori Party constitution - he is the co-author.

The Dominion Post reported that several supporters in his Te Tai Tokerau electorate are unhappy with the Maori Party's relationship with National. Yet last night Harawira's mother and other supporters said they were adamant that they wanted Harawira in parliament, and as a Maori Party MP. They just want the whole episode to go away and pretend it never happened.

Harawira is the Maori Party equivalent of former Green MP Sue Bradford - he disagrees with the direction of the party but as an electorate MP it is a different matter resigning from the Maori Party to stand as an independant as he will not be replaced. The government will have a majority of one. If Harawira resigns from Parliament, that will force a by-election, which could possibly go to Labour. But he won't.

If Harawira wants to utilise his talents he could always do something like this. He'd be good at it, too.