Committee is a kangaroo court, Harawira says

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira says the disciplinary committee which has called him to an urgent meeting on Tuesday is a kangaroo court chosen by a few people who want to get rid of him.

The national council has handed him over to the committee in a bid to end the strife caused by his criticism of the party's relationship with the Government.

Fellow MP Te Ururoa Flavell has laid a formal complaint over a newspaper article Mr Harawira wrote saying the party was too wrapped up with National and was supporting anti-Maori policies.

A hui held yesterday in Mr Harawira's Te Tai Tokerau electorate was supposed to resolve the complaint, but neither Mr Flavell nor party president Pem Bird were invited and it turned into a support rally for the MP.

Committee chairman and party vice-president Te Orohi Paul said today he had written to Mr Harawira and Mr Flavell asking them to attend an urgent meeting on Tuesday, which would be followed by a second meeting on February 9.

After that meeting a recommendation would be given to the national council, which would decide what to do.

It has powers ranging from censure to expulsion from the party, decisions which would have a severe impact on the party's future and its chances in this year's election.

"This is a serious `let's get Hone' game," Mr Harawira said on TV One's Close Up programme tonight.

Asked whether he considered the committee was a fair set-up or a kangaroo court, he replied: "You would have to say kangaroo because it's been picked by the leadership -- two or three people within the executive whose names are unknown.

"They're not even telling me what the process is or who has been chosen, I've been completely cut out."

Mr Harawira said six people in a party of 25,000 were making a decision to get rid of an MP.

He again defended the comments he made in the newspaper article, saying they reflected the views of most party members.

"I'm just saying the Maori Party needs to be clear who our constituency is, develop policies based on their needs and aspirations, be open to discussions with Labour and the Greens as well as National, oppose any anti-social legislation, go back to our people more often and oppose the foreshore and seabed bill -- not because I say so, but because our people say so," he said.

After yesterday's farcical hui, the national council decided the complaint couldn't be resolve at electorate level and, under the party's constitution, called in the disciplinary and disputes committee.

The party has hired constitutional law expert Mai Chen as an advisor at a reported fee of $25,000, although Mr Bird has said that amount was the budget for resolving the dispute.

Mr Harawira says the money is coming from funds intended to develop the party and help poor people.