Maori Party mum on Harawira

Published: 5:05PM Tuesday November 17, 2009 Source: NZPA

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The Maori Party had little to say when confronted by media over controversial MP Hone Harawira.

Harawira has been under increasing pressure since his "white motherf...kers" email was made public.

On Tuesday, the party's co-leaders refused to front media, instead sending Party Whip Te Ururoa Flavell into the lions' den.

Flavell says his party was in "a delicate state of discussions".

Co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples would be making a joint statement "soon", he says.

"I've been asked on behalf of our leadership and our party to tell all media that we've entered into a process to wait for two weeks interval (of) time to allow all of us to take some stock and we'll be making a statement after that no doubt.

"We've given Tai Tokerau (Mr Harawira's electorate) and indeed Hone, and ourselves, some breathing space."

Harawira, in his Northland Age column today, admitted the email had caused a lot of political damage to himself and let down his party.

"I recognise there needs to be some serious bridge building on my part with my caucus colleagues, and I will be doing so over the next weeks."

Harawira says he did not intend leaving his party, despite the party and others suggesting he should do so. His leaders have asked him to take time off.

Prime Minister John Key said today if Harawira left the party and became independent it would have no impact on the National Government as it had brought the Maori Party on board as part of a willing partnership rather than out of necessity.

Political damage done by Harawira's comments was minimal because the Maori Party had made it clear it didn't support them.

"In the end this is an issue for Maori Party leadership to deal with, and I think they're doing their best in very difficult circumstances," Key told reporters.

Harawira made his offensive comments in response to an email from former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere questioning the way Harawira skipped off to Paris while on a parliamentary visit to Brussels.

The reply was: "White motherf...kers 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?"

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