Committee votes to expel Harawira
The Maori Party committee considering a complaint against Hone Harawira has recommended that his party membership be cancelled.
The Maori Party committee considering a complaint against Hone Harawira has recommended that his party membership be cancelled.
It will now be up to the party's national committee whether to do that. He has already been suspended from the Parliamentary caucus.
Party whip Te Ururoa Flavell lodged the complaint last month against Mr Harawira over his outspoken criticism of the party and claims it was too caught up in its coalition with National and supported anti-Maori policies.
The party's disciplinary and disputes committee met yesterday.
In a statement committee chairwoman Te Orohi Paul said Mr Harawira had "had many opportunities to respond to the complaint, and that he had said a great deal".
She said the committee had granted Mr Harawira and his Tai Tokerau electorate several extensions to resolve the dispute but the party's constitution required complaints to be resolved quickly.
"Accordingly, with great sadness, and after many hours of deliberation, a quorum of the committee resolved unanimously that the complaint was not resolved at the hearing or at any of the previous hearings, and that there did not appear to be any way of resolving the complaint besides cancelling Mr Harawira's membership of the Maori Party," she said.
That recommendation now goes to the national council. It will meet in Rotorua tomorrow morning.
Mr Harawira had been told of the resolution.
Mr Flavell yesterday said he would be angry and disappointed if the issue was not decided finally on Wednesday.
"I think we've had it too long. I think all of us want an end to it and we just want to get on and do the work."
NZPA
Tue, 22 Feb 2011
Tue, 22 Feb 2011
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Committee votes to expel Harawira
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