Harawira gets a reprieve
The Maori Party's disciplinary committee is allowing Hone Harawira to fly in a holding pattern for the next few days, but the MP could still crash and burn.
The Maori Party's disciplinary committee is allowing Hone Harawira to fly in a holding pattern for the next few days, but the MP could still crash and burn.
A meeting in Wellington yesterday ended with no resolution of the complaint against him, but the committee agreed to give him time to go back to his Te Tai Tokerau electorate and again talk the issue through with his constituents.
Mr Harawira has been suspended from the party's parliamentary caucus and could be expelled from the party, but after the meeting it seemed drastic action might be averted.
"We are comfortable with the direction we are going to be taking," said committee chairwoman and party co-vice president Te Orohi Paul.
"We've had some tensions...we've managed to work through them."
But Mr Harawira gave no indication he was prepared to back away from his outspoken criticism of the party's relationship with National, which he has said is passing anti-Maori legislation -- the reason for the complaint against him laid by party whip Te Ururoa Flavell.
Mr Harawira agreed the meeting had gone well.
"I said in there that I disagree with this process but I am comfortable with where we've gotten to," he said.
"I'm glad there's been an adjournment until we get a chance to talk about some of the issues...and the opportunity to come back and discuss it with the committee at a later stage, as soon as we can."
Mr Harawira said he wasn't going to have "a media circus" in his electorate on Friday and Saturday, while party co-leader Pita Sharples told reporters the delay was because Te Tai Tokerau wanted it.
"Even though we've got this argument going we are like a big family," he said.
NZPA
Thu, 10 Feb 2011
Thu, 10 Feb 2011
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Harawira gets a reprieve
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