A hui on Thursday will decide how Maori Party MP Hone Harawira can atone for skipping off to Paris while on a parliamentary trip to Brussels and then responding to criticism with an offensive outburst.
The party leadership decided on Sunday it wasn't going to sack him but appears to at least expect a public apology from the Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) MP.
"I think he will find a way to apologise to the nation," said party president Whatarangi Winiata.
"We will help him do that."
Prof Winiata said a hui, probably on Thursday afternoon, would bring together Harawira, the party leadership and members of the Te Tai Tokerau electorate committee.
"Obviously it is in everyone's interests to address the concerns swiftly," he says.
"We acknowledge the severity of this situation - the hurt that has been caused by Harawira's outburst, and we seek to remedy this."
He went on to describe the MP as a creative, talented, intelligent and energetic person who "has the potential" to be a very effective politician.
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 Harawira an email questioning the Paris trip.
In response, 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 says Harawira's language did not breach to Human Rights Act.
De Bres says the language was offensive but it was freedom of
speech and not action would be taken over it.
Prime Minister John Key says he thought an apology was needed from
Harawira.
"I definitely think he owes a bit of an apology," Key says.
"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."
You can read Hone Harawira's email in full here
How do you feel about Hone Harawira's sightseeing trip to Paris and his reaction to the criticism? Share your opinion on our message board below.
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