Harawira may have to apologise

DON SCOTT/The Press

SOME REGRETS: Hone Harawira told Tariana Turia he did not attend a meeting in Brussels because he was ill. In fact, he and his wife went on a jaunt to Paris.

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The Maori Party isn't going to sack MP Hone Harawira for skipping off to Paris while he was on a parliamentary trip to Europe but it appears to want a public apology from him.

Mr Harawira is also in trouble for inflammatory remarks he made in an email about the Paris trip, and today met Maori Party leaders to discuss both issues.

He has apologised to the party for any harm be caused with his offensive language but not for the sentiment behind it.

Maori Party president Whatarangi Winiata said today the problem was still being dealt with.

"The reason we persist is because of his potential. I think he will find a way to apologise to the nation, we will help him do that," Prof Winiata said on TV One news.

The next move is a meeting, expected to take place on Thursday, between Mr Harawira and the party's local committee in the MP's Te Tai Tokerau, or Northland, electorate.

Mr Harawira was part of a parliamentary delegation visiting Europe when he decided to leave Brussels and take his wife to Paris for the day.

He was unrepentant about that, saying he paid for it himself, but he is reported to have misled Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia over it.

Subsequently, former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere sent Mr Harawira an email questioning the Paris trip.

In response, Mr Harawira sent an email saying: "Gee Buddy, do you believe that white man's bullshit too? 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."

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres received more than 20 complaints about the email but said yesterday Mr Harawira's language did not breach to Human Rights Act.

Mr de Bres said the language was offensive but it was freedom of speech and not action would be taken over it.

- NZPA