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In an unusual move Prime Minister John Key has suggested police should not charge Maori MP Hone Harawira for riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
Generally politicians avoid commenting on police investigations and do not suggest what they should do.
However, Key says that he does not think it worth prosecuting Harawira for riding a motorbike on parliament's forecourt without wearing a helmet
."My own view is nothing should happen," he told reporters.
Opposition leader Phil Goff agrees.
"I was there at the time, he wasn't on the roadway, he was doing about five kilometres an hour, I think it's a petty issue actually," Goff says.
The issue is whether the forecourt outside parliament is legally considered a road.
On one hand anybody is allowed to drive in for drop-offs and pick-ups, but on the other hand it's the Speaker who is actually in charge of what goes on at the forecourt.
Key says in his view no charges are likely to be laid against Harawira.
"For the same reason I didn't think Shane Ardern should be prosecuted for driving a tractor up the steps of parliament."
Ardern was investigated by police after he drove a tractor called Myrtle up the front steps of parliament as part of a protest against a "fart tax", a proposed agricultural levy in 2003.
Police initially charged him but withdrew it in court and instead gave him a warning.
"At the end of the day (Harawira) may well be in breach of the rules and regulations and I am certainly not advocating that people ride motorbikes without helmets, obviously for safety reasons that's very important. But sometimes these things are driven off political reasons as opposed to specifically being done for safety reasons," says Key.
ONE News spoke to Arden about the helmet-less Harawira incident and he believes the story has been hyped up for political reasons.
Harawira saga
Harawira has been embroiled in a serious row about an unauthorised trip to Paris while on a parliamentary visit to Europe and the racially offensive email he sent in defence of it.
He was allowed to stay in the party but was sent on leave from parliament until it resumes after the summer recess.
The motorbike incident happened two months ago, when he met a group of anti-violence demonstrators on the forecourt and took a short ride on one of their bikes.
It was pointed out at the time that he was not wearing a helmet, but he laughed it off saying it was a private road and he was not obliged to wear one.
The incident pretty much was forgotten until ONE News ran the footage a few weeks ago on a story unrelated to that incident.
That prompted complaints to the police from viewers.
For now, Police Minister Judith Collins is being a bit more careful about the incident, saying it is a matter for the police to deal with.
The word from police is they are still deciding whether to take action.
What do you think of John Key's comments? Share your thoughts on the messageboard below.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentGregglles said on 2009-12-08 @ 21:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
That's a bit like how he's advising parents that a light smack is okay, even though its against the law. It seems in NZ the law is only there for the few and not the many.
takitimu mokopuna said on 2009-12-08 @ 18:33 NZDT: Report abusive post
i suggest that people should not care over something little like an helmet issue. fair enough its safety but the whole point of him being there is far greater. if a MP does such as i.e. driving a tractor up parliament steps or even a hikoi, he is doing it for a cause not for commotion. besides the PM is only doing his, good on him. his role give him great authority to say such things regardless of critisim, people must realise it.
adzonline05 said on 2009-12-08 @ 17:13 NZDT: Report abusive post
Unbelievable! What is wrong with our PM? He doesn't listen to the public when it comes to the anti-smacking legislation, he changes his mind about Copenhagen and now he says it's OK for an MP to ride a motorbike around Parliament? One: Harawira doesn't care and probably knew he would get away with it, two: it was broadcast, three: it's illegal. Hello? Wake up Mr Key and stay out of police investigations
big2al said on 2009-12-08 @ 15:54 NZDT: Report abusive post
I can only say that John Key must really need the Maori Party for some upcoming legislation if he's letting everything Hone's done recently ride like this.