Call to cancel Harawira's party membership

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The Maori Party is one step away from expelling rebel MP Hone Harawira after a special panel hearing a complaint against him recommended his membership be cancelled.

Party president Pem Bird said the disciplinary and disputes committee had made the call unanimously and 'with great sadness' after a meeting on Monday.

He said the committee considered that Harawira had had sufficient opportunity to respond to and resolve a formal complaint from whip Te Ururoa Flavell and there did not seem to be any option but to end his membership.

''Accordingly, with great sadness, and after many hours of deliberation, a quorum of the Committee resolved unanimously that the complaint was not resolved at the hearing or at any of the previous hearings, and that there did not appear to be any way of resolving the complaint besides cancelling Mr Harawira's membership of the Maori Party.''

The recommendation would go before the Maori Party's national council at a hui in Rotorua tomorrow and is almost certain to be endorsed.

Flavell laid a formal complaint after Harawira used a Sunday Star-Times column last month to launch a blistering attack on the support for National, branding it ''anti-Maori''.

The internal feuding was brought to a head over co-leaders Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia's decision to back National's replacement foreshore and seabed legislation.

Flavell and Te Tai Tonga MP Rahui Katene also back the new law.

Flavell's complaint said the column and other public attacks by Harawira had brought the party into disrepute.

- © Fairfax NZ News