Harawira will attend disciplinary meeting
Maori MP Hone Harawira will be attending a disciplinary hearing today to discuss a complaint laid against him by a fellow caucus member.
Maori MP Hone Harawira will be attending a disciplinary hearing today to discuss a complaint laid against him by a fellow caucus member.
Party whip Te Ururoa Flavell lodged a formal complaint after Mr Harawira wrote in a newspaper column that the party was too wrapped up in its coalition with National and was supporting anti-Maori policies.
Mr Harawira has so far refused to back down from the comments, and on Monday he was indefinitely suspended from the party's caucus after the ongoing tensions reached breaking point at Waitangi over the weekend.
A disciplinary committee, chaired by Maori Party co-vice president Te Orohi Paul, will meet in Wellington at 3pm to discuss the complaint.
Mr Harawira said this morning he had decided to attend the meeting.
"I will be attending the hearing because of my commitment to the kaupapa of the party and not because of any trust in this Pakeha legal process."
"Kaupapa Maori is supposed to be the basis of our party, but it seems that some people will happily ditch the kaupapa for a Pakeha process whenever a problem crops up."
Mr Harawira, who made it clear he wanted to stay in the party, said it was unlikely he would get booted out because he has huge support within the party all around the country.
He stands by his column, saying the issues he had discussed were constantly being raised by members of his Tai Tokerau electorate.
Mr Harawira said he wanted to see the dispute handled privately, in a Maori way, rather than through legal processes in the glare of the media.
"I am sincerely hoping that good sense comes to play, common sense comes to play and that the Maori Party membership's wish that this whole issue be put aside and dealt with properly behind closed doors on a marae somewhere, according to kaupapa Maori."
The party's co-leaders, Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples, said yesterday that the door was open, but that Mr Harawira would have to earn back the trust of the caucus.
"It would need to be an admission by him that he would be prepared to come within the code of behaviour, and the activities and the requirements of being in caucus," Dr Sharples said.
"It's entirely up to him and that message is very clear.
"We're all really quite close as people, so maybe he can see that there is a way forward for him to go, change his ways and be part of the team."
NZPA
Wed, 09 Feb 2011
Wed, 09 Feb 2011
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Harawira will attend disciplinary meeting
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