Dunne plays his hand

This has been a pretty good week so far for United Future’s Peter Dunne.

On Monday he addressed his Ohariu electorate committee with a speech warning against the extremities of Act, declaring that anyone who stands with Hone Harawira is “is someone asking to be burnt”, and referred to Labour as a cot-case and “not a viable, functioning alternative” (to the present government). He also said that parliament has been more honourable for Winston Peters’ departure at the last election.

While his views will have support from both the left and the right of politics, it is clear Dunne sees himself aligned to National in 2011 after he retains his seat.

On Tuesday Phil Goff’s response to the speech was, “I think Mr Dunne will be irrelevant at the next election, I don't think he'll be in Parliament."

Dunne has more chance of being in Parliament after the election than Goff has of being Labour’s leader during National’s second term.

Goff believes Charles Chauvel will become the MP for Ohariu after the election. Chauvel has tried to be elected by the people, Labour has stood him in several elections since 1990, but voters wanted someone else. This year Chauvel is going to run a time for a change campaign. He says “I`ll be satisfied with having my voice heard on the things that matter to me”.

Those in Ohariu want to have candidates voices heard on things that matter to them.

Chauvel has got a campaign caravan emblazoned with his website, www.charles2011.co.nz, a website that is not publicly available, but merely a diversion to his Facebook page that has grammatical and spelling mistakes. Time for some changes, indeed. Not a particularly good start.

Today Dunne put out a media release that will have support from both the left and the right. He called on John Key to assure New Zealanders at he would not allow Maori activist Titewhai Harawira to be his escort at next year's Waitangi Day celebrations due to her unruly behaviour at past hui.

Dunne has called the election for National and says voters need to decide which party should support National after the election. I still think Dunne will win his seat with an increased majority – the question is will he bring anyone else in with him.

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It's Hon. Hone now

from the brand new Mana Party website.

MANA, movement of the people, is Aotearoa’s newest political force, led by Hon Hone Harawira, Independent MP for Tai Tokerau.

He is actually the MP for Te Tai Tokerau, not the Hon. Hone Harawira. Not a particularly great start for a new political movement that is after the "intelligent" Maori vote.

Candidate Annette Sykes estimated there were 700-1000 people at the party's launch yesterday. The media more accurately said 300, as you can see from the photo.

Apparently the Mana Party has 600 paid members, so it can now be registered as a political party.

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Will the Mana "party" get increased taxpayer funding?

It is quite clear that Hone Harawira has every intention of breaking his agreement with the Maori Party not to stand any candidates in Maori seats. Furthermore he wants to get as much money as possible to contest the general election.

That’s why he announced yesterday that he is having a by-election, after lying about it by denying it earlier that day, at a cost to the taxpayer of $500,000. It’s got nothing to do with getting a mandate. It’s to do with getting the $100,000+ leaders budget and other perks in parliament to set up his new party. Whether he succeeds is another matter. I think he is somewhat misguided.

If I was Act leader Don Brash, I'd contest the by-election for the publicity.

Having missed out on the deadline on election broadcasting funding, Harawira is trying to scrape together 500 people to quickly register his party so he can have “Mana” (instead of independent) on the ballot paper and have more money for the general election. An unregistered parliamentary party will not be able to get a leaders budget if it is not recognised as a parliamentary “party”. There is some information about that, here. All registered parties are recognised as parliamentary parties if they have an MP in the House - and the MP was elected on that party banner.

Election candidate Annette Sykes has been asking for 1000 people to support the party by today, so that it can quickly register – even though only 500 are needed. She is also calling on people to enrol on the Maori electoral roll. Once enrolled on the Maori roll, these voters can only vote for candidates on the Maori seats – the seats that Harawira earlier agreed he will not contest. She is talking up the numbers at the weekend’s hui that launched the Mana party, claiming that “more like 700 to 1000” people were there. The media reported 300.

So why are people like Sue Bradford and Matt McCarten behind the Mana Party, when they don’t particularly like Maori nationalism? I believe it is because they see this party as the only party that will threaten John Key’s leadership for the benefit of the Left as Labour is no threat, even with union backing. With the assistance of the unions, they consider this support can increase the party vote beyond five per cent after the election – and perhaps take a few MPs away from the National-supporting Maori Party.

Anyway back to the leader’s budget. If Harawira resigns on Monday he won’t be getting paid as an MP from the day he resigns until the day he is elected - which could be as late as July. And he`ll lose all his parliamentary responsibilities. I’m wondering if there will be much difference between the money Harawira loses between resignation and election in unpaid salary and perks compared to the money he gains as a parliamentary party leader between the by-election and the General election - and to what extent he and his party are aware of this.

Graeme Edgeler has an pretty good post on the numbers, detailing the perks, what Harawira loses when he resigns, as well as providing more information on how the various instruments outline the status of political parties.

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Hone Harawira’s expensive divisive politics

We all know that Hone Harawira is a loose cannon and a drain on the taxpayer. He draws an MPs salary and trips around the country attending hui and promoting himself and his new party. The speaker line up for the launch of the party this weekend is here and includes Veronica Tawhai, Annette Sykes, Sue Bradford, Nandor Tanczos, Matt McCarten, Margaret Mutu and John Minto. I've met most of them and it is an impressive list.

Since Harawira left the Maori Party the Maori Party travel expenses have dramatically reduced. In the past few months the Maori Party has spent $44,000 on travel, just $1000 more than Harawira alone. So Harawira was responsible for half the Maori Party travel bill bill and we are still paying that half while Harawira trips around as an independent MP trying to stitch up his divisive party.

And it will be divisive. It will pit Maori against Maori at the taxpayers expense. If he wins his seat as a leader of a parliamentary party he will get even more money. There was even talk of Harawira resigning from Parliament to force a by-election to get a mandate for his new party so he could be a Parliamentary leader in parliament before the General election – at a cost of $500,000.

Harawira must realise that the only way to get extra MPs for his Mana party is to challenge the Maori seats, just like Tariana Turia did. So you can expect that Harawira’s agreement not to challenge the Maori seats will be broken.

Then it will be an all-out Maori-against-Maori divisive political battle. Instead of Harawira discussing white mother***ers raping our land, he`ll be focusing on the Maori Party, tripping around the country attempting to create a wedge between his party and the Maori Party, and many ofthose speaking at the launch of the party this weekend will not be impressed. In addition the party will struggle to create an identity, as it jumps between nationalism, unionism and left wing politics. That has started already with Sue Bradford announcing she is unwilling to join a party that is more focussed on nationalism than the Left.

The Mana party will get nasty as it will need all the publicity it can get, in the absence of broadcasting funding. If it is successful it could split the Maori vote and be quite divisive. A similar scrap has happened before when Christians Graham Capill and Graeme Lee had their public scrap within the Christian Coalition in the 1990s, and more recently when the Gordon Copeland and Brian Tamaki kissed and fell out. The difference here is that Capill and Lee were never going to win seats, and Copeland was a list MP-turned-independent.

In addition, the leaders of the two Maori parties are current MPs thanks to MMP, and are likely to retain their seats after the election.

Harawira wants to be an “independent” voice - and I think he`ll get his wish as the lone MP from his party in parliament. Whether this voice will have any worthwhile influence within Parliament, even if he does take others in with him, is another matter.

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The battle for Ikaroa-Rawhiti

Earlier this month Labour MP Parekura Horomia was considering his parliamentary future. What this means is that he was considering whether to bother contesting his seat of Ikaroa- Rawhiti, a seat nobody else has held. He can afford to do so as he is guaranteed a seat in Parliament as he is a stupidly high sixth on the party list.

Horomia is a party man – he’s Labour’s Maori vice-president. One of his roles is to ensure that the best Labour candidates contest the Maori seats – it’s just that he is starting to recognise that he is not one of the best. This, despite not only getting the highest plurality of votes in the past two elections, he got the majority of votes.

So Horomia may stand down from contesting his seat in favour of promising candidate Meka Whaitiri, the CEO of her Iwi, Ngati Kanungunu. Whaitiri also played for the U21 New Zealand Netball team and was the chairperson of the board of Trustees at Te Kura Maori o Porirua while a public servant. Like Deborah Mahuta-Coyle, a new MP after the 2011 election, she has worked for Horomia in Parliament.

Whoever Labour selects may be up against Mereana Pitman. She is the president of Hone Harawira’s new party and unsuccessfully contested the presidency of the Maori Party. She’d be right up Harawira’s alley – one of her stated favourite quotations is f**k off.

The only other candidate in the race will be the Maori Party candidate, Na Rongowhakaata Raihania. Late last month iPredict said that he was the candidate most likely to win the seat.

Doubt it. Labour may well come up the middle and retain the seat and Horomia will be the second highest ranked Labour list MP.

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Harawira may not form a new party - if he does it won’t be supported

Hone Harawira says his electorate committee is going to decide on Sunday whether a new party is going to be formed to contest the 2011 election.

He has also revealed that calls for a new party are coming from disaffected Maori Party supporters who can’t accept what is going on within the Maori Party.

We don’t know whether he is referring to disaffected voters of Maori Party candidates, or Maori party supporters who voted the Maori Party as their party vote – or a mix of the two. Perhaps he is also referring to disaffected Maori Party supporters who voted Labour with the list vote?

Given that Harawira has stated that he will not stand candidates in the Maori seats one wonders who he expects these disaffected Maori in the Maori electorate should seek as their constituent representatives. Will Harawira’s electorate committee conclude that a party is not worth forming as no one from the party is likely to enter parliament - or will they box on and do it anyway?

Even if well over half the supporters of those who list-voted the Maori Party in the Maori seats changed their 2008 vote to Harawira’s party, that will not be enough to get any more than one MP in parliament – meaning if Harawira does not retain his seat the party won't be represented in parliament.

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Why Hone Harawira’s new party will fail

I am of the opinion that Hone Harawira wants to form a Maori party if he can get enough left wing people alongside that will cope with his Maori nationalism. But none of them will get into Parliament to join Harawira.

Waatea News reports that Harawira will not, “at this time” contest the Maori seats outside his own.

This can only mean that Harawira is banking on keeping his seat and getting 1.5 per cent of the party vote to bring in an additional member, as Rodney Hide did in 2005 and Jim Anderton did in 2002.

It’s looking like there is going to be a new party. It will be announced round about the middle of next month. I can’t say yet when the candidates will be announced. I can say that at this time it is not my intention to stand candidates in the Maori seats against the Maori Party members,” Mr Harawira says.

My guess is that the people he wants to attract will be unwilling to vote for his party in numbers that secure this additional parliamentary representation. Those on the Maori roll will also be unable to vote for his candidates, the exception being Te Tai Tokerau. That seat will be the sole possibility of a Maori mandate for the Harawira party – in essence, just Harawira. Most of those on Maori roll will have a Labour or Maori Party representative as their constituent MP.

Harawira has said that he wants a Maori-focused party and a decision to form a party rests with the elders of Te Tai Tokerau. If these elders want a Maori focused party, it will have to contest the Maori seats and have a Maori mandate.A left wing Maori Party will only get some Maori - mainly disaffected Maori Party voters who will not be able to cast candidate votes for the new party if they are on the Maori roll. They won’t cast party votes in large numbers for Harawira’s party either as it will be seen as a wasted vote.

Should Harawira bother to form his party without contesting Maori seats he will effectively give Maori no greater option than they currently have to elect candidates he puts up.

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Hone Harawira is an "utter irrelevance"

Would be interested to see what others think of Gerry Brownlee's views on Hone Harawira:

Hone Harawira is an utter irrelevance.... a lowly backbencher of no account whatsoever.

Is Harawira an effective MP or is he an irrelevance?

Also, what was Phil Goff trying to do here? There will be a lot of comment around the blogs and talkback on this speech. What a mistake.

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Hone Harawira to stay with Maori Party

The Maori Party has announced that Hone Harawira is to stay with the Maori Party but be suspended from caucus for a while. I wonder if they`ll use his vote for the ETS legislation.

What we have is an MP who wants to stay with a party that passes legislation he doesn't agree with run by leadership aligned to a political party he doesn't like.

This is pure self-interest. Harawira doesn't listen to his party in terms of discipline, he doesn't listen to his constituents - whom he says he is answerable solely to - in terms of how he votes. So when he votes against his constituents wishes what do they do?

Nothing. What a bugger's muddle.

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Harawira set to leave the Maori Party?

Maori Party president Whatarangi Winiata has proposed embattled Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira leave the Maori Party and become an independent MP..

This proposal was made at todays hui. Mainstream media outlets were barred from the hui.TVNZ's Te Karere and Maori TV's Te Kaea were granted entry, but only because it was felt they would cover proceedings with a positive slant and the Maori Party had reservations about the coverage they would get from the major news organisations.

Harawira's response: "It's the silliest idea I've heard. He wants to stay. They should kick him out now. It is a decision that was needed, not a proposal.

"Hone has said a number of times that he does not give a toss what anyone thinks except the people of Te Taitokerau, and his behaviour over the past couple of weeks has underlined that position," said Party President Professor Whatarangi Winiata.

"If Hone believes he is not accountable to the Maori Party or its leadership, or the Party caucus in Parliament, then clearly he has placed himself outside the party," said Professor Winiata.

"We require our MPs to work as a team, and Hone clearly has difficulty with this, given his words and deeds, which have had a devastating effect on his colleagues and the party as a whole.

"This situation will cause upset and anxiety for Maori Party supporters in Te Tai Tokerau, who may feel their loyalties to the party and their MP are now conflicted. We assure them that the Party will maintain a presence in the electorate,and we will be in contact in due course.

There was heated discussion at the hui, which wants to wait two weeks before deciding Harawira's fate. They should kick him out now, not wait two weeks. They've had the hui. Harawira will never be known for his achievements, but his foul language and his distaste for rules. But although it is looking likely that Harawira will stay with the party unless he is removed, it can well do without him.

The Human Rights Commission has now received 675 complaints and expressions of concern about Hone Harawira.

Pita Sharples has said he can't see how the caucus can work together with Harawira. What to do?

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Racism is a lawful freedom of expression

post has been updated

According to the Human Rights Commission [pdf], racism is a lawful freedom of expression under some circumstances, and Hone Harawira was within his rights to be racially offensive, because his comments were not insulting, abusive, or likely to bring contempt to any group.

This is despite quite a few people considering that Harawira's comments have brought contempt for a group called the Maori Party. Harawira implied that non-Maori have been raping the country and ripping Maori off for centuries, starting from colonisalism. Race Relations Commissioner Joris De Bres is known for comparing New Zealand's colonial history to cultural vandalism by the Taleban, for which the Human Rights Commission turned down complaints.Harawira's comments are no worse.

However, de Bres he thought the "cheeky darky" comments, earlier made about Kofi Annan by Paul Holmes were insulting and belittling. . He was very careful to say that the comments made by Hone Harawira were not insulting, abusive, or belittling - merely offensive. According to the Human Rights Commission guidelines, being offensive is not unlawful, When a public figure (such as a politician) or people in power that make comments that are racially offensive, there are other options, even though the statements may not be unlawful. These options do not extend to actions undertaken by the Human Rights Commission.

So it is fine to be offensive, but not insulting. It is within your freedom of expression to make offensive racist comments, and do so lawfully. Glad that's cleared up, then.

Dr Ranginui Walker on Breakfast this morning was adamant that Harawira's comments were not racist. But when asked if the same comments were to be directed at Maori, if that would be racist, he gave a big breath and said, "I'm not sure". Appalling.

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Maori Party release statement on Harawira

The Maori Party has released a statement today, making it clear that it wants this business with Harawira cleared up, with him continuing as a Maori Party MP. A meeting will be held on Thursday and there`ll be no further comment until then.

These recent incidents are inconsistent with the standards of behaviour, the kaupapa and tikanga that our party is based on. We have asked Mr Harawira to consider a number of actions which we hope will address the offence that has been caused. Our intention is to resolve the current controversies concerning Mr Harawira, a creative, talented, intelligent and energetic person who has the potential to be a very effective politician for the Māori people and for the Nation.

Meanwhile Rodney Hide has released this unprecedented apology over his recent actions. Will Harawira do likewise? Only if he is told to, perhaps. He will be told to. Furthermore, as the electorate is the group that has the final say on whether Harawira remains an MP, the Maori Party will go to the electorate recommeding his retention and an apology. He will not be punished, just told to apologise, even though he is not sorry.

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Harawira could quit

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira said that he might quit at the next election.

However he said he'd like to quit, not over his intemperate language and behaviour, but because National is too close to the Maori Party. Yet he can't stand Labour either. If he doesn't want to be in a party that seeks to be in power with either party, perhaps he should question why he desired to be an MP in the first place. Likewise, if Pita Sharples thinks that it is fine for Harawira to break rules like he does, he should think again.He said:

New Zealand has to weigh up the value of his intellect and his perception of issues as opposed to his odd rule breaking and that’s how it is.

I was told by someone in the Maori Party last night that had Harawira been a list MP, it is a strong possibility he would be gone ,as it would have been much easier to remove him. Harawira is not sorry for his language, he is only sorry if his e-mail "might have harmed the party". If harm is caused to the party, that is a breach of the constitution. Harawira is well aware of the Maori Party constitution - he is the co-author.

The Dominion Post reported that several supporters in his Te Tai Tokerau electorate are unhappy with the Maori Party's relationship with National. Yet last night Harawira's mother and other supporters said they were adamant that they wanted Harawira in parliament, and as a Maori Party MP. They just want the whole episode to go away and pretend it never happened.

Harawira is the Maori Party equivalent of former Green MP Sue Bradford - he disagrees with the direction of the party but as an electorate MP it is a different matter resigning from the Maori Party to stand as an independant as he will not be replaced. The government will have a majority of one. If Harawira resigns from Parliament, that will force a by-election, which could possibly go to Labour. But he won't.

If Harawira wants to utilise his talents he could always do something like this. He'd be good at it, too.

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Harawira's e-mail

With reference to this post, this is the e-mail Hone Harawira sent to former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere.
From: Hone Harawira
Sent: Tuesday, 3 November 2009 10:38 p.m.
Subject: FW: Ae Marika - 03 November 2009 - Hone Harawira MP Te Tai Tokerau

Gee Buddy, do you believe that white man bullshit too do you?

White mother******* have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries, and all of a sudden you want me to play along with their puritanical bullshit.

I don't often respond to comments like this, but I will to you.

I put in shit loads of hours and bucketloads of energy in my commitment to advancing Maori, and I am happy to put my body, my freedom, and my personal credibility on the line for that cause.

And I don't do it because of the salary, or the political position I hold, or for any other reason than that I believe in fighting for Maori rights and I love doing what I do.

As far as my wife is concerned - I don't know what your relationship is with whomever, but my wife is my partner, my adviser, my critic, and my best friend, and she has marched with me, fought alongside me, suffered the hard times with me and stood by me for more than 35 years, so if I get the chance to take her with me as part of my role as an MP I will.

And quite frankly I don't give a shit what you or anyone else thinks about it.

OK?

Hone

PS and if you want to take this to the press, go right ahead. I answer to my people, not to them or to anybody else.

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Maori Party about to kick Hone's butt

The Maori Party is very concerned that Hone Harawira's behaviour in Europe, and a subsequent email that he sent,are serious breaches of the kaupapa and tikanga of the party.Harawira skipped an important meeting in Brussels so he and his wife Hilda could spend a day in Paris.But he lied to Tariana Turia, telling her he didn't attend meetings because he was sick - all to get a day of fun in Paris. He paid for the extra travel himself.

Former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere emailed Harawira complaining about his actions.

"Gotta ask the question eh? Who's paying for [wife] Hilda? You're no better than that wanker Rodney Hide and the white mofos you complain about," Mikaere wrote, referring to Hide's actions in taking his partner on an overseas ministerial trip despite the Prime Minister John Key's direction against the practice. And get off your moral high horse while you're at it -- nobody forced you to be an MP."

Harawira wrote back starting his email; "Gee Buddy, do you believe that white man bullshit too do you? White motherf...ers have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries and all of a sudden you want me to play along with their puritanical bullshit."

Harawira then went on to say how much time and energy he put into fighting for Maori and what a big role his wife Hilda played in that."And quite frankly I don't give a shit what you or anyone else thinks about it. OK?

Party president Whata Winiata has emphasised high standards of integrity, and expects its members to be role models. He is concerned that Hone Harawira's language and behaviour fell short of "of expressing the party's kaupapa". But Hone's language and behaviour often falls short of expressing the party's kaupapa.

In an email I received from him some time ago, I was told "piss off arsehole". I forwarded the e-mail to party leaders who did nothing. For Hone this language is normal and is accepted by the Maori Party. So is his behaviour. That has to change. He is a disgrace to the Maori Party.

Also, his spending was easily double that of virtually every other MP, but says he could not care less about what people about that. He says his constituents are the only people he is answerable to.

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