Lots of coverage over the last couple of weeks on problems within the Maori Party and Hone has got a fair amount of flack.
Claire Trevett has some background. Audrey Young a bit more opinion. And stuff is carrying a lighter piece looking more to Key’s reaction.
But isn’t the real issue the shape of Maori Party the supporters and party workers want. While those who are more closely aligned with the corporates may support the Nacts I got the impression that the teams that did the work on the ground were closer to a Hone Mana Motuhake grouping than a Tariana National/Act approach.
There is also the question of where the others stand. I first worked with Pita 32 years ago and he has always been an individual of real personal integrity, as did Te Ururoa Flavell in our briefer and more recent professional work together. I don’t know Rahui Katene but get the impression she is a hard working woman and is principled.
Everyone knows this debate is not about Hone, bad language or racisim. It is about the future of the Maori Party and in particular how many more times the male members can be humiliated by John Key and Tariana Turia working together as a team.
Ann Sullivan (Head of Maori Studies, @ AKL uni) made some interesting points on Afternoons with Jim Mora yesterday (7 minutes 40 seconds in). she said the Maori Party co-leaders have made a mistake and that Hone is more important to the Maori Party grassroots than the mainstream media acknowledge. She also saids playing this saga out through the media, and so quickly, is a mistake.
http://static.radionz.net.nz/assets/audio_item/0017/2129021/aft-20091113-1708-The_panel_part_1-m048.asx
Labour should watch this carefully too. Hone Harawira is the only Maori Party member who votes for working peoples’ interests. Tariana and Pita are both rather right wing, certainly anti-union, and want to cut the benefit for Maori, believing its the only way to cut the culture of dependence. Its no accident they are in a coalition with the National Party, and its Hone who is keeping them anywhere near the left.
Either that’s good for Labour, making the Maori Party vulnerable in their electorates, or else its dangerous because it makes it harder to work with them in the future – which it is depends on how safe the Maori Party are in their electorates.
The Maori Party isn’t “right wing”. They did a deal with the government, not choose National over Labour. No different from any other minor party – they always have to weigh up limited gains versus opposition. No minor party has been rewarded at the ballot box for making the compromise (see the fate of Alliance, NZ First, United). Probably the Maori Party will go the same way.
But that doesn’t make them closet Tories.
Sammy is correct.
The Maori Party had to face this sooner or later. That their fringe element (the very large racist, separatist part) was to pull away from the moderate younger more educated part.
Thing is, Turia and Sharples STILL don’t know what camp they belong to and it is ripping the Party apart.
Oh dear. Too bad. Never mind.
Now it looks like Tariana Turia is going to do to Hone Harawira what Helen Clark did to her.Yes the Maori Party is right wing just remember that last election 2008 the Maori Party only stood in the Maori seats while National only stood in the General seats showing advance preplanning.If we were brutally honest we should outlaw all political parties that do not stand in all General and Maori electorates showing that they can take there case to both sides of the nation.If Labour wanted to it could have an aggressive 3 ticks campaign with all billboards showing both General and Maori seats candidates plus the tick for the Party List as well.All local branches should serve both electorates with the General Labour electorate organisations serving as local committees for the Maori seats that could also serve as another type of Regional NZLP organisations.It is inevitable that Hone Harawira and the Maori Party is a (deleted abuse Trevor) as they only represent the Maori seats and hate us General Seaties.
Sorry Colin but that is a silly idea. Minor parties don’t have the funding to activly stand or campaign in every seat. If it were a requirement you would undermine the basic principle of MMP that it allows minor parties to have a voice in parliment.
National don’t stand in Maori seats because the investment is wasted. Marori will rarely vote nat and if they do they will do it on the general list. Would you rather they watse our tax dollars running in those seats for almost no chance of a win?
It is about the future of the Maori Party and in particular how many more times the male members can be humiliated by John Key and Tariana Turia working together as a team.
What is your reasoning for making this issue gender-specific?
If you were to hear Tariana Turia slag off unions, and Pita Sharples on the evils of the benefit you would think they were right wing too. They are quite happy to support right wing legislation. How else can we tell which side they are on but judge them by how they act?? Maybe they are confused but I doubt it.
If their electorate start seeing them that way, they will be finished. Now there’s a job for the Labour Party!
Excellent point mjwkiwi.
I tune in to parliament Question Time as often as I can, and I have made a point of watching the Maori Party. Provided the cameras pick it up, I have noticed how often the MP members – Turia and Sharples in particular – adopt the same response to questions and answers as that of the government members. That tells me a lot about the Maori Party leadership.
Once again, Labour tries (with some success) to pit Maori and the left against each other. I hate that you are doing this deliberately Trevor Mallard, without a thought for the good of this country.
@ rocky because it has been Sharples and Harawira who Turia and Key have dumped on.
@ george – so we don’t criticise a party leader because she is Maori – get lost.
Like Rocky, I too am confused as to where the assertion that Pita Sharples and Hone Harawira are continually humiliated “by John Key and Tariana Turia working together as a team” comes from. What is the basis for this? Is this not just the standard political ploy to divide and conquer? If so, I think you, and your colleague Shane Jones, both seriously misjudge the amount of support that the leaders and members of the Maori Party have. Tariana and Pita have both upheld their mana in Maoridom, and Labour has yet to do anything to earn back Maori trust.
“Tariana and Pita have both upheld their mana in Maoridom”
By voting for policies that will screw over their people?
Matua Toms.
[...] I posted on Turia’s work with Key that has undermined other Maori members. My post implied it was just the male members that had been undermined by the pair. I was wrong. [...]
[...] Three weeks ago I posed the question Hone or Tariana who will the real party back? [...]