Harawira apology would be hypocritical - Samuels

By MARTIN KAY and MICHAEL FOX - The Dominion Post

Any apology from MP Hone Harawira would hypocritical and insincere, former Labour Party MP Dover Samuels says.

Mr Harawira's future was in doubt after he branded Pakeha as "white motherf.....s" who were raping Maori land in an email to a supporter who had asked who paid for Mr Harawira's wife to accompany him on the Paris jaunt.

Labour MP Dover Samuels, who previously held the Te Tai Tokerau seat Mr Harawira now represents, said he shouldn't apologise.

"I think it would not be Hone if he got up and apologised."

"Any apology from Hone would be absolute hypocrisy, he's advocating what he really believes in, he's done that for many, many years before going into Parliament," Mr Samuels told Radio New Zealand.

"Any apology that he would make would be artificial, superficial and he actually doesn't believe it."

Mr Harawira "absolutely" believed in what he said about white people, Mr Samuels said.

"A lot of the people that are sitting with him in the Parliament believe the same thing."

He said the Maori Party had separatist policies and should elect Mr Harawira leader and be honest about their views.

"What should happen is that the Maori Party should support him, make him the leader of the party and then New Zealanders and Maori and Tai Tokerau and most importantly his supporters who are actually supporting him in Mt Eden would say good on you Hone, now you're actually flying the true flag for the Maori Party."

"At least...he's got up and had the guts to actually say what he feels inside."

He said that MMP meant it would be possible for the Maori Party to exercise extreme views yet still manage to form partnerships in Parliament.

Maori Party leaders will meet Harawira on Thursday to decide whether to discipline him for the racially explosive email and an unauthorised day-trip to Paris during an official European visit.

However, party president Whatarangi Winiata hinted last night that an apology rather than expulsion was the most likely outcome.

Hilda Harawira was travelling with her husband as part of an official, taxpayer-funded parliamentary visit to Belgium and Switzerland last month.

He paid for the whirlwind Paris excursion, but should have been attending official engagements in Brussels that day.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia has expressed concern that Mr Harawira told her he missed the Brussels meetings because he was ill.

She said yesterday she and co-leader Pita Sharples would attend a meeting between Mr Harawira and party officials on Thursday.

She said the party had received several emails about the "white motherf.....s" comments from non-members and some from members as well, but she would not comment further. "The party have taken the matter up and it's not fair for me to then talk publicly about what I think."

Mr Winiata said yesterday that Mr Harawira would not face expulsion – the most serious sanction available. He told One News: "The reason we persist [with Mr Harawira] is because of his potential. I think he'll find a way to apologise to the nation ... if we think it's appropriate to do that."

Mr Harawira, who told The Dominion Post last week that he was unhappy about aspects of the Maori Party's support for National, also declined to comment. "I've decided to impose a media ban on myself."

Prime Minister John Key this morning said he thought an apology was needed.

"I definitely think he owes a bit of an apology," Mr Key said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme.

"It's for the Maori Party leadership to sort that out, and I have got to say they are doing their best to try and deal with that situation."

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres also called for an apology, and suggested on Radio New Zealand this morning that Mr Harawira deliver that in Parliament.

The commission received more than 20 complaints about the email but said yesterday Mr Harawira's language did not breach to Human Rights Act.

Mr Key said there was "a tinge of racism" in Harawira's comments.

"He's a shock jock kind of MP. . . the problem is he says things and does things that are a bit outrageous.

Mr Key did not think other Maori MPs shared the views.

"We formed a relationship with the Maori Party, National and the Maori Party, to improve race relations in New Zealand, because we are both committed to building a harmonious New Zealand."

Mr Key also said the issue of bunking off during a work trip needed to be addressed.

"I think wondering off into the Paris sunset, and its the second time he's done that on an overseas trip, is not right. He needs to correct that," he said on NewstalkZB.

The Paris jaunt is the second time in two years that Mr Harawira has embarrassed the party on an official, taxpayer-funded trip. In 2007, he ditched a justice and electoral select committee visit to Melbourne to visit Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

Parliament's Speaker ordered him to repay half the $2200 business class airfare for the Australian trip.

- With NZPA