Harawira suspended
February 7th, 2011 at 3:03 pm by David FarrarNZPA report:
Maverick MP Hone Harawira has been suspended from the Maori Party caucus.
In a statement today, Maori Party co-leaders Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia announced the suspension, saying that it was a result of Mr Harawira’s behaviour in the party for the past five years.
That is an interesting time-frame to refer to. It looks like it has been building for a long time, and has reached the near inevitable conclusion.
“We have always respected the right, and made provision for caucus colleagues to speak out on issues which their constituency presents. We do this, however, always guided by the principle of unity of purpose and direction (kotahitanga).”
No political movement could survive divided within itself, they said.
“We have made this decision with heavy hearts. We are especially mindful of the position of Maori Party supporters in Te Tai Tokerau, who will obviously feel loyal to Mr Harawira; but who are also supportive of our kaupapa Maori and the achievements of the Maori Party in Parliament.
“We want them to know that we have huge respect for the people of Te Tai Tokerau and our commitment to our people remains unwavering.”
The suspension would remain in force until further notice.
It will be interesting to see if Harawira now gives his proxy vote to the Opposition. It won’t affect things a lot as you need 62 votes to pass a law and Nat + ACT = 63 and NAT + Maori = 62 so National can still go either way – plus have Peter Dunne.
February 7th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
As with Winston Peters in 1992, well deserved. How can you have someone in a caucus who spends so much time taking pot shots at his colleagues?
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
If you stand up and rock a waka you’re in danger of being tipped out or tipping the whole thing over.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
The ramification for National could be fairly serious if this continues down what appears to be a breakup of the Maori Party. The Maori voters may well revert to labour or be split between Hone and the Current Maori Party. That could leave the nats relying on ACT and Dunne.
ACT support hovers around the margin of error and with Hide’s performance in 2010 there needs to be a significant improvement this year to actually see any ACT participation in parliament post november.
Peter Dunne will support whoever will give him a cabinet role. He was beautifully descibed by Bob Jones during the last election campaign as “The town bike of NZ politics.”
Then there is Winston. Despite National’s strong showing in the polls we could see the beautiful coilition of
Labour, Greens, NZ First, Hone and Peter Dunne.
Good god if we get that I am going to emigrate.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
Mark – that would be terrifying.
Then again, the hone/bradford express may drag the greens under 5%. that would be glorious.
And if Hones party grabs a couple of maori seats, there may be no overhang..
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Then there is Winston. Despite National’s strong showing in the polls we could see the beautiful coalition of
Labour, Greens, NZ First, Hone and Peter Dunne.
It would be very tempting to pack the bags. A case of the barbarians at the gate.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Genuine question … in pre-European days how did Maori punish anyone who consistently defied the authority of the tribal chief?
I’m assuming there was some form of banishment at a minimum, but wouldn’t be surprised if the punishment was more severe than that. Anyone have an authoritive take on it?
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
jUST ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MP. AND MAY WE HAVE MANY MORE RATHER THAN THE WEAK KNEED BROWN NOSING BUNCH OF SYCOPHANTS THAT INHERIT OR HAVE INHERITED THE TWO OLD PARTIES. ALL MP’S'S SHOULD BE BEREFT OF PARTY AFFILIATIONS. MAKE FOR AMORE CONSTRUCTIVE RESULT FOR NZER’S.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
I know Dunne has blown with the political winds in the past, but how likely is it:
- he will win his seat again?
- he would go in to coalition with Labour over a higher polling National?
V2 – I agree with your point more than I agree with your use of Caps Lock.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
virtualmark asked “in pre-European days how did Maori punish anyone who consistently defied the authority of the tribal chief?”
They set Titewhai onto them.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Harawera can always mainline on the oxygen of publicity while he is critcising his colleagues. It seems that this has become very intoxicating to him. He thinks that a headline about this or that is actually achieving something. He seems to think throwing stones at something from the outside is better (and more fun) that actually governing. Dr Pita Sharples has a very different view.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
V2 – I agree with your point more than I agree with your use of Caps Lock.
I suspect he meant to hit the Shift key, but hit Caps Lock instead.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
They are calling his bluff. Now Hone will have to see exactly how much support he has outside his own feral family. I suspect the MP realise it aint much and that they would have a good chance of putting someone else up who would beat Hone.
Vote:Your move Hone
February 7th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
If Hone and supporters were to get all their wishes tomorrow I suspect they would be in mourning . Hone’s stable diet is grievance, he’s built his life around it, he knows nothing else. This shall just be another unjust burden he must bare, I’m sure he’s very happy at the moment.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Not that it makes a difference, but are National down another vote as well while Botany is vacant?
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
It is a pity politics attract so many divas and we fork out their salaries – Peters, Dunne, Anderton and now Harawira.
Vote:In this latest case it shows the obvious – that all Maori don’t think alike and a party based only on ethnicity is a difficult one to manage.
February 7th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Harawera needs to spend time alone as an independent and let us see how much he achieves. He will not be bowed of course, he will go to his grave screaming and yelling that he is right and everyone else is wrong.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Jim Bolger once said that the closest English translation that he could give for the term “Tino Rangatiratanga” was “privatisation” and I think that is what we are seeing with the Maori Party and National. While Labour was traditionally a strong deliverer of services to Maori, it was via state-owned/union staffed organisations like DHBs and schools.
National has continued to deliver Treaty settlements to iwi, which allow iwi to operate their own programmes. And National, with Whānau Ora, is continuing to take the state control out of social service provision.
So if you are old-time state socialists like Sue Bradford, Hone and many on the left of the Labour Party, then you can see why what National and the MP are doing must be opposed; it goes to the very core of the idea that only state-owned, funded and controlled organisations, staffed by members of Labour Party-affiliated unions, can deliver well being to Maori.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Come on the Nats.
Learn from this that the racist party is not a reliable ally. You want to scrap their seats. Get on with it. Do some research ,Orewa speech and all that. You’ll get even more support than you have now.
Nats,grow a pair!
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
this must bring the new left party a tad closer….
..hone couldn’t leave…;cos he wd face charges of deserting the party…
..it’s best for him if they throw him out..
..and that appears to be happening…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
“Nats,grow a pair!”
Not likely to happen anytime soon. However, ACT has been constantly opposed to seat based on race.
If they get enough seats we we see the end of race based seats.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:20 pm
“..If they get enough seats we we see the end of race based seats…”
(snigger..!…eh..?..)
and if we all had horses..we’d all be riding…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
They’re picking on him because he’s Maori…
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
It’s blindingly obvious that this has been Hone’s object from day 1…every time it looks like there’s a way to reach a compromise, he does something to further force their hand. The only vaguely surprising thing is that it took publicly insulting Sharples for it to happen.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
What dont tell me that its true the person known as hone ( A BROWN MOTHERFUCKER) or John Hatfield(a brown mother fucker) is suspended, who cares , whats on sky news at the moment opps i feel like posting,
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Mummy wont be pleased…hone the martyr…silly little insignificant cretin.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Good.
Brown motherfucker.
Doing nobody any good, in love with the idea of himself as someone important.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 6:51 pm
this must bring the new left party a tad closer….
Yes, and the Green party a tad closer to oblivion!
Think Phool, where will the new far left party get votes from? Ans: Hard left Labour voters and the Green party. Lets hope its just enough to push the Greens below 5%, and only give Hone’s party 2-3%.
I’m imagining the amount of wasted vote on the left at the next election – and it fills me with glee. Nats wont need 50% if the Green vote drops below the threshold. BWAHAHAHAHAHA Thanks Hone – yer a star!
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
Don’t be too hard on Hone, guys. He has mummy issues.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 6:57 pm
If he does get shown the door, it’ll be interesting to see if the voters in his electorate are as loyal to him as he thinks or if they just tick for whoever’s the Maori Party candidate.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Tumeke’s open letter to Hone Harawira;
Vote:Could somebody with information technology skills please put it up here.
The reference to 14% of the population being on welfare and the supposition that they would almost all vote for Titewhai’s boy and his cohorts like McCarten, Bradford & Co.
It is all rather scary.
February 7th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Beab: “all Maori don’t think alike and a party based only on ethnicity is a difficult one to manage.”
This.
It was the height of arrogance to take the name “Maori party”, but those in the party itself seem to believe the hype that they do represent all Maori (or at least those they believe to be “true” – possibly those who claim to only identify with one aspect of their heritage?).
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
Viking2, Pete George,
Vote:I recommend studying the period in New Zealand politics before 1890. During that era before the emergence of politiocal parties – when all MPs were independants – we had something like 30 different governments in 35 years.
February 7th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
s.russell points out:
So? It’s somehow better to have, as NSW has had, 16 years of a Labor government that has the audacity to go to the polls effectively saying “…give us another chance to (finally!) get it right”? Sixteen years of disarray, internal bloodletting (while there hasn’t been 30 governments, they must be getting close to that number of Premiers!) and stagnation that has made the state a basket case.
Or nine years of Helen Clark?
“Changes of government” when Parliament is formed of independents is simply a sign of alliances forming and reforming as MPs represent the interests of their constituents. It wasn’t 35 years in which nothing was achieved, or during which the country fell into strife and civil unrest, by the way. But it was a golden age insofar as accountability.
I’m with Viking 2:
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
Will Hone and Chris Carter now be benchmates at parliament?
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Tauhei: Bradbury’s attitude reminds me of that of one of the power-hungry villains, Frank Fontaine, from Bioshock:
Vote for us, like good little slaves.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 8:25 pm
About time.
Nice one.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Could someone please advise mrs Harawera snr how much extra money Hone would get as the leader of his own party ( think Jim Anderton ).
I think if only they knew they would not be able to help themselves from giving it a go.
This would be a relatively cheap outcome for the rest of NZ to ensure a Nat govt for a term or two while they came to grips with the power.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 8:30 pm
“..Think Phool, where will the new far left party get votes from? ..”
when asking that it is worth recollecting that the alliance at its’ peak had over 20% of the vote…
..those people haven’t all vaporised…
.and you forget..that with harawira owning his seat…only 3% would bring in a brace of mp’s…
..does that answer that for you…?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 8:37 pm
Amusing, speaking to a mate he was trying to worl out what the Maori party had done for the average punter of a hori, fuck all was his view.
Of course they did help the Nats drop the tax on the well paid.
Vote:Will if it tears the Maori part apart, it would not be a surprise, good for us in Labour though.
February 7th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
philu said “when asking that it is worth recollecting that the alliance at its’ peak had over 20% of the vote…”
That’s right philu, but you will recall that in the mid 1990′s, neither National or Labour could muster 40%. Also, compare the 1993 & 1996 Elections. The Alliance dropped from 18% to 10% while NZ First rose from 8% to 13%. There must have been a significant “protest vote” component in the Alliance’s 1993 result.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
“..There must have been a significant “protest vote” component in the Alliance’s 1993 result…”
and you don’t think there is the mood for a protest vote now…?
..are you aware how many are hurting out here…?
and all key is promising is asset-stripping of our common-wealth/a pogrom on the poor..
..and ‘relieving the pressure on private enterprise’…(w.t.f.is that…?..)
..he hasn’t got a fucken clue…
..he’s an asset-stripping ex-lehmans..
..that’s where he learnt all he knows..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
philu said “and you don’t think there is the mood for a protest vote now…?”
Not in the same way that there was in the 1990′s. Consider the issues that were a gift to The Alliance then – Benefit cuts, National Super surcharge, Public hospital charges, Major Asset sales (including Forests) & MMP. The polls just don’t seem to show a groundswell in the same way now.
Vote:February 7th, 2011 at 9:28 pm
um..!..benefit cuts not restored…and at below poverty levels..
..record child poverty..(one in five..)
..third world diseases coming back..
..costs for most things going crazy…
asset sales…
..environmental degradation/climate-change now a reality for most…(only 17% still deniers…)
..the working-poor…(25 cents an hour increase..?…(!)..)
..and all of these compounding over the coming year…
rodders..there is an ever-growing realisation out there that the three decades of yr model..hasn’t worked..
..and has brought us to this parlous place…
..and that we need major change..
it seems to me the similarities with the nineties far outweigh any differences…
…(and i have never said this new party will get 20%..
..that figure/example was a response to an uneducated sneer….)
…but it will certainly do much better than you seem to think..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
Vote:February 8th, 2011 at 8:06 am
It interesting that in the General electorates that the number of votes cast range from 30-40,000 but in the maori electorates there are never more than 20,000 votes cast.
In Harawira’s case he received 12,000 votes. So his mandate is quite a small one and even if he stood as an independent against a nominated Maori party candidate he would struggle to be re-elected when his personal vote even whilst the official Maori Party candidate was not great. Labour could regain this seat if Harawira spilts the vote.
Vote:February 8th, 2011 at 8:29 am
Anyone know where Hone’s new seat is in parliament. Will he be banished to sit next to Chris Carter in the naughty corner?
Vote:February 8th, 2011 at 9:16 am
It will depend on to whom he gives his proxy vote: I am assuming that he will give it to Labour and thus become an Opposition MP, as opposed to giving it to National and remaining on the right of the Speaker. The very back row on the Opposition side has one seat, taken by Mr Carter. There are a few national MPs in the next row (the House only has exactly 122 seats, so there is a spill-over of government members onto the opposition side). They will probably shuffle the Nats over and put Hone next to Kris Faafoi.
Vote:February 8th, 2011 at 9:19 am
“In Harawira’s case he received 12,000 votes. So his mandate is quite a small one and even if he stood as an independent against a nominated Maori party candidate he would struggle to be re-elected when his personal vote even whilst the official Maori Party candidate was not great. Labour could regain this seat if Harawira splits the vote.”
An optomistic and probably unrealistic read on this situation. Hone is reflecting the views of a fairly broad group of the Te Tai Tokerau electorate that the Maori party is too cosy with National and is making too many concessions to make the gains meaningful. The danger here is that a useful if somewhat difficult ally for National is potentially going to disintegrate over the year leading into what must be one of the more important elections for a number of years.
Harawira should not be underestimated. If it his intention to break away and form another Maori party then the last weeks events have fallen right into his hands. The expulsion from Caucus 2 days prior to the disciplinary hearing notwithstanding Harawira’s provocation at Waitangi will fuel the indignation of those who have some sympathy for what he is saying.
Vote:February 8th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Hone is reflecting the views of a fairly broad group of the Te Tai Tokerau electorate that the Maori party is too cosy with National.
Um, what evidence is there for this statement? It’s often repeated in the media, but where are the facts to support this assertion?
The facts are maori voters are the least inclined to bother voting, at is evident from their voter turn-out being much less than the General seats. All the rhetoric about their support for Harawira is irrelevant if they are the ones who don’t bother voting.
Vote: