Sharples takes up Harawira challenge

Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples has called on his maverick MP Hone Harawira to cut himself loose from the party if he can't accept the disciplines of being in caucus.

Dr Sharples was speaking after Mr Harawira last night made his own "state of the Maori nation" speech in Waitangi an hour before Dr Sharples began delivering a scheduled speech on the same topic.

It comes as Mr Harawira faces a disciplinary proceeding within the party after writing a newspaper column critical of the party's relationship with National.

Dr Sharples agreed the speech from Mr Harawira last night was a direct challenge.

"Why would you do that, if your leader of your party was giving an address about the state of the Maori nation, why would you, who are part of that group, do one the hour before? I see that as a challenge," he said.

He said there were rules and etiquettes which bonded a caucus and Mr Harawira needed to change his ways if he wanted to be part of the caucus.

"If he wants to be a free spirit then perhaps that's where he should be, cut himself loose and be the free spirit that he wants to be," Dr Sharples said.

"But if he wants to be a working member of the Maori Party caucus, then we have to work together."

When asked if Mr Harawira could keep doing such things and remain in the party caucus, Dr Sharples said "probably not".

Mr Harawira in his speech said National should be looking at other parties such as the Greens as potential partners, but Dr Sharples defended the relationship with National.

Dr Sharples said the Maori Party was frank about the areas where it disagreed with National, but it was better to be in power than not.

"For many Maori who are not sure whether we should be in Government and we should perhaps stand to one side. I think it's really, really important to get that message across that if you're not in Government, you're not in power. It's throwing stones, and we had three years of that.

"Now we've had some opportunity to make some changes, and we've done some really good things."

Last night Dr Sharples said there were many policy areas where National and the Maori Party differed, but the gains of whanau ora and the constitutional review would not have happened without that relationship.

He also defended the party's support of the Takutaimoana Bill, the replacement for the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

The new bill was not all that the party wanted but it was better than the Foreshore and Seabed Act and it was best to make some improvements with a view to revisiting it later rather than doing nothing.