Hikoi for Hone starts quietly, and fades
The Ratana Church's "Hikoi for Hone" has got off to a quiet start in its bid to pump up support for Mana Party candidate Hone Harawira a week before the Te Tai Tokerau by-election next weekend.
The Ratana Church's "Hikoi for Hone" has got off to a quiet start in its bid to pump up support for Mana Party candidate Hone Harawira a week before the Te Tai Tokerau by-election next weekend.
The hikoi to support Mr Harawira and his newly formed Mana Party began at the Kai Maia Ratana Church in south Auckland at first light today with 12 people on a bus for its trip north to Kaitaia.
By the time the bus got through Waitakere in west Auckland, the numbers had dropped to six, said Ratana minister Kereama Pene.
"There are about six of us heading up," he said, as the bus left Warkworth north of Auckland.
He said they were getting good support.
"All the horns are beeping along the towns although I have got to say Warkworth was a bit quiet this morning."
The hikoi began as polls showed Mr Harawira and Labour candidate Kelvin Davis were neck-and-neck, with Mr Harawira rating 41 percent support and Mr Davis 40 percent.
Mr Pene said the northern arm of the Ratana movement believed Mr Harawira was the only candidate who knew what issues Maori people faced.
Mr Harawira forced the by-election when he resigned from Parliament last month after leaving the Maori Party in February.
NZPA
Fri, 17 Jun 2011
Fri, 17 Jun 2011
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Hikoi for Hone starts quietly, and fades
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