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TVNZ's message board is running hot following an email outburst by Hone Harawira, when a party supporter asked who paid for his wife's trip to Paris.
Harawira skipped a meeting in Brussels so he and his wife, Hilda, could spend a day in Paris. He paid for the extra travel himself.
After this, former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere, emailed Harawira a two-sentence message: "Gotta ask the question eh? Who's paying for Hilda?"
In a harshly-worded reply , Harawira wrote; "Gee Buddy, do you believe that white man bullshit, too, do you?
"White motherf*****s 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 was already in hot water, with Speaker Lockwood Smith saying he may have to pay back some of the trip's overall cost and Turia revealing she had been led to believe the reason he skipped the meeting was illness.
On Friday, tvnz.co.nz users went to their computers in droves to
have their say on the issue.
Many called for the MP to resign or be sacked.
"I am Maori and think that Hone is typical of an uneducated cretin that knows no better than shaming the Maori who do not deserve this. He is bringing shame to Maori and what we stand for. Give it up Hone - resign," says billyb.
"Hone Harawira certainly does Maoris no favours! Everytime he opens his mouth he puts his foot right in it! Surely, Sharples should discipline him, he is not fit to walk in his shadow! We need people like him in the public eye like we need a hole in the head - get rid of him he is an insult to us Maori!" said nfandld.
Some did not mind Harawira taking his wife's to Paris as long as he fufilled his post obligations first.
However, they found his comments hard to stomach and deemed it 'racist'.
"I would be happy with this 'trip to Paris' if Hone had stayed at the Conference in Brussells until it's conclusion. But to trip off on a personal jaunt like this on taxpayer's money and not complete the job he went for is insulting. Then to compound the whole thing with racist comments i.e: white man b... s...! If 'we' called Maori's racist names then they'd be just as upset," says Jacqui F.
Sandra22 said the trip to Paris pales in comparison to the comments he made.
"It is disgusting for an MP to talk this way - with utter contempt for the majority of the population that he is supposed to be serving. He should be sacked immediately and be prosecuted for racism. If a white person said this, all hell would break loose."
Others were concerned about the overall message the MP is sending.
"The actions and comments of Hone Harawira have set a terrible example to young Maori, telling them that taking a sicky is acceptable, Lying to your superiors is OK. To then follow up with a racist and bigoted message is nothing short of a disgrace to Maoridom.
"He claims to represent his people but this disrespect would not be acceptable coming from a pakeha so why should it be tolerated in his case. Remove him immediately! His tax payer paid jaunts and racist biggotary are not acceptable," said iain Bamber.
Some viewers have just had enough of what they see as 'abuse of public funds.'
"There aare a lot of folk who are sick and tired of the sort of abuse of public funds this clown among others has enjoyed. If any politician had a conscience they would see there are their own folk, especially tai tokerau folk, who have very little. Heres an idea for Hone - quit and go on the dole and see how hard it is to exist," said africa12.
But the news was not all bad for Harawira as some found his comments 'refreshing' to say the least.
"This is a trivial matter - an extension of the current media attention on Hide and English - it will be someone else next week. I think the Maori Party are overreacting as well. True, the indiscretions are interesting gossip material, but nothing more i.e: Hone Harawira's day off isn't going to bankrupt the country. And now, if all the media, Mr Key etc can focus on is Hone's use of words - what a weak news story. I find him refreshing. He's a good man too!" said Bo Luke Duke.
Vicuni2007 thought that the MP's words is the voice of all the Maoris.
"I voted for Hone and I still support him. Hone isn't stupid, anyone who can mobilise people to march like he did with the foreshore and fisheries is not stupid. Hone for PM," said Lesley Ngati Kahu.
"Without Hone's organisation of the hikoi for the Foreshore and Seabed fiasco there would be no Maori Party!" says nz4life.
See below to add your comment or/and read others
Add a Comment:
Post new commentGreg Cramond said on 2011-01-28 @ 19:02 NZDT: Report abusive post
Hone was in Kitimat (Canada) for a conference for American Indian Nations, did his usual racist rant and blamed white people for everything wrong and then left after being presented with the indian name of walking eagle... This means 'one so full of sh!t, he can not fly'. Hone, give it up mate, you look like an idiot... It is New Zealand, not Whites and Maoris, Us and Them, people like you incite racism... Let it go... Bro!
Rog said on 2009-12-02 @ 09:45 NZDT: Report abusive post
Harawira should look at the history of his own race before criticising others. They stole land from, raped, murdered and ate their own people when they felt like it. He should read the book "This Horrid Practice" by Paul Moon plus accounts in the National Archives of Maori history.
shiloh said on 2009-11-30 @ 07:52 NZDT: Report abusive post
It looks as though they are waiting for all the racist hype to quiten down, and then keep him on in the party. Mind you... when you think about it, if they kick him out, the Maori party will have to deal with the wrath of Hone's fans. And if they keep him, they have the rest of the country to deal with!! GET RID OF HIM! NZ has no room for racist politicians.
paulmmmm said on 2009-11-29 @ 18:18 NZDT: Report abusive post
Being in New Zealand from Australia to witness Hone's spectacular racist and stupid remarks was fascinating. Do they help even if true? Hone, I wish you and your people all the best. At least the Maoris have a political party - Australian Aboriginies do not.
Zanziabar said on 2009-11-29 @ 18:12 NZDT: Report abusive post
This is completely unacceptable, this is a truly horrendous double-standard applied to this entire political circus. As it has been pointed out before, If a Pakeha MP was to make the same comment about Maori then he would be expelled. Instead, We get a maori party unable to face up to it's responsibilities as a political party. Mark my words, there will be massive public outrage if he isn't expelled from his causcus.