Hone Harawira
Encyclopedia
Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira (born 6 January 1955) is a New Zealand Māori activist
and parliamentarian. He was elected to the Parliament of New Zealand
for the Māori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau
in the 2005 general election
as the Māori Party
candidate. His resignation caused the Te Tai Tokerau by-election
, held on 25 June 2011, which he won with a majority of 1117. As Leader of the Mana Party and Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau, he sits on the front bench in the New Zealand House of Representatives.
in 1955. He was raised in West Auckland
and attended St Stephen's School, a boarding school for Māori boys, and the University of Auckland
. He credits people like Muhammad Ali
, Syd Jackson
, Nelson Mandela
, Maori Marsden, his mother and his wife for teaching him "the need for strength, commitment, wisdom and vision". His mother descends
from the Ngāti Hau
, Ngāti Wai
and Ngāti Hine tribes, his father from Te Aupōuri
, Ngāpuhi
and Ngāti Whātua
, and he is part Pākehā
. He married Hilda Halkyard from the Ngāti Haua hapū
(subtribe) of Te Rarawa
.
issues, Māori language
revitalisation, land occupations, and Māori broadcasting. In 1979 Harawira was part of He Taua, which confronted drunk University of Auckland engineering students who performed a parody of the "Ka Mate
" haka with obscenities painted on their bodies. The group including Harawira assaulted them with baseball bats and hoses, resulting in several broken bones. He was a key participant in He Taua, the 1981 Springbok tour protests, and the 2004 foreshore and seabed
hikoi
, the last of which led to him entering Parliament.
Harawira's family continue to engage in activism, with his nephews Wikatana Popata and John Junior Popata protesting in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at Te Tii Marae during the Waitangi Day
celebrations and Harawira has said he is proud of their actions. In 2009 they were convicted of assaulting Prime Minister John Key
and sentenced to community service
.
"John Howard
is a racist bastard" for his intervention into aboriginal affairs; being fined for leaving a planned parliamentary overseas tour to make headlines over aboriginal rights; and for continually challenging the government’s Māori MPs for "not defending Māori rights". A student at Waikato University
complained about Harawira in April 2009 after an incident where Harawira swore in response to a question referring to Māori as a "minority group". He explained that the political science student, Steve Baron, was a racist who "lumped Māori in with other minorities like homosexuals and Asians.....He tried it on and he got his comeuppance."
Harawira writes a regular column in the Kaitaia
-based newspaper The Northland Age, entitled Ae Marika. In the edition dated 29 October 2009, during the time he was on a Parliamentary trip in Europe, he wrote:
"...we've been scrapping and squabbling and brawling and bawling about this, that and the other thing for so long that all of the original Waitangi Tribunal claimants are now long dead."
"...the European Union...27 distinct languages and hundreds of different dialects...political diversity...everyone doing their best to talk with one another, and work together!"
"So hangin' with these folks has been a great learning experience."
"...I for one learned heaps."
Following his return from Europe, in November 2009 Hawawira was asked to repay some travel costs after skipping a taxpayer-funded conference in Brussels to go sightseeing in Paris. "How many times in my lifetime am I going to get to Europe? So I thought, 'F*** it, I'm off. I'm off to Paris'," he said. In a subsequent email exchange with Buddy Mikaere (a former director of the Waitangi Tribunal
), who had criticised Harawira's actions, Harawira lashed out at white people, stating "Gee Buddy, do you believe that white man bull**** too do you? 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....And, quite frankly, I don't give a shit what you or anyone else thinks about it. OK?". Harawira's email was seen as racist and heavily criticised by the media, other members of Parliament, and members of the public.
After a lengthy discussion process, the Māori Party decided that he would not face punishment. On Radio Waatea he apologised for the wording of his email but not for the sentiment of it. He also said in an apology "My words were true." Harawira later said that Labour Party leader Phil Goff
was a "bastard" and "should be lined up against a wall and shot" for passing the Foreshore and Seabed Act
.
On 31 July 2010 Harawira told the New Zealand Herald he "wouldn't feel comfortable" if one of his children came home with a Pākehā
partner, but he asked whether "all Pākehās would be happy with their daughters coming home with a Māori boy? The answer is they wouldn't." He was asked, since some of his whānau
have dated Pacific Islander
s and he didn't have an issue with it, "does that make him prejudiced?" He said "Probably, but how many people don't have prejudices?" He was criticised for his comments as being "racist and stupid" by National Party
MP Tau Henare
.
Ngāpuhi
activist David Rankin said Harawira was "playing the race card every time he wants to 'create a smoke screen for other issues'". A political opponent of Harawira's (he polled 202 votes to Harawira's 12,019 votes in the Tai Tokerau seat at the 2008 election),
Rankin is Harawira's cousin and claims seniority over the Harawira family in the Matarahurahu hapū. He noted that Harawira's grandfather was a Pākehā, saying "Harawira has a blind spot. His family even changed their name from Hatfield to Harawira because they are in denial about their racial identity."
In contrast, Māori Party co-leader Pita Sharples
said Harawira's comments probably reflected the views of many people and were not racist. Also in his New Zealand Herald interview, Harawira said, when asked "why not be an independent MP?" that "I came here because the Maori Party provided me, and us, with the opportunity to change the world and I recognise the value of that."
issue, saying "If we support this bill, we’re effectively saying that our coalition with National is more important than our commitment to Māori – surely not?"
On 19 January 2011 the Māori Party received a complaint from one of its MP's Te Ururoa Flavell
which was supported by all the Party's other MP's, Rahui Katene
, Pita Sharples
, and Tariana Turia
. A leak of the internal complaint document showed that all of the other Māori Party MP's had "lost trust and confidence" in Mr Harawira, that he "acted unethically and without integrity" and that he "deliberately undermined" the party and the leaders. A few days afterwards, Harawira called the procedure being followed to investigate the complaint a "joke" and "farcical", denying him natural justice. "I also think that it's very, very pākehā the way it's being run", he said. In a later response, Harawira described his Party colleagues as "dickheads."
On 7 February 2011 Harawira was suspended from the Māori Party caucus, with a statement by Turia and Sharples saying they had lost faith in him after five years of ill-discipline. He responded saying he wishes to stay with the party and stand for it in the 2011 election.
On 23 February 2011 Harawira left the Māori Party after the party's disciplinary committee recommended his expulsion. His resignation coming following the Māori Party's support for the National Party, in particular over the Foreshore and Seabed issue, on 8 March 2011 Harawira missed the vote in Parliament for the crucial second reading of the legislation which replaced the Foreshore and Seabed Act.
, stating that he would resign from Parliament and would contest the resulting by-election
. Harawira responded to criticisms that a by-election would be "a ridiculous publicity stunt mainly about the tens of thousands of dollars he stands to gain if he returns to Parliament as a party leader," and that it would cost New Zealand taxpayers $500,000, by arguing for the need to receive a fresh mandate from the people of Te Tai Tokerau, saying that "It's hardly an expense in terms of democracy." On 3 May 2011 he delayed his planned resignation from Parliament, saying he wanted to take the decision back to the people of his Te Tai Tokerau electorate. Although he was the leader of the Mana Party, he would remain an independent MP until elected as such.
On 2 May 2011 in an interview on TVNZ's Māori-language programme 'Te Karere
', Harawira said that the former leader of Al Qaeda Osama bin Laden
's actions were those of "a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people" and that people should not be damning him but mourn him. Harawira later explained that Māori do not speak ill of the dead "even if such a person has done bad things", and apologised for how he had expressed himself, saying his mihi to the Bin Laden family was not intended "as support for Bin Laden's actions."
Harawira received threats following his remarks about bin Laden, which were dealt with by the police.
Harawira's formal resignation from Parliament as an Independent MP on 11 May 2011, effective 21 May, caused a by-election
in his Te Tai Tokerau constituency. Harawira ran as the Mana Party's candidate and received 6065 votes, winning the seat with a majority of 1117. Harawira returned to Parliament on 14 July 2011 during the Start of Day ceremony but was removed from the chamber by Speaker of the House Lockwood Smith
for not pledging the oath of allegiance for newly-elected Members of Parliament required by New Zealand law. He returned on 2 August, affirmed the oath in Māori and as leader of the Mana Party took a seat on the front bench.
Maori protest movement
The Māori protest movement is a broad indigenous rights movement in New Zealand. While this movement has existed since Europeans first colonised New Zealand its modern form emerged in the early 1970s and has focused on issues such as the Treaty of Waitangi, Māori land rights, the Māori language and...
and parliamentarian. He was elected to the Parliament of New Zealand
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
for the Māori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau is a New Zealand Parliamentary Māori electorate. Since 2005, it has been held by MP Hone Harawira. A by-election was held in this seat due to Harawira's resignation from Parliament...
in the 2005 general election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
as the Māori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
candidate. His resignation caused the Te Tai Tokerau by-election
Te Tai Tokerau by-election, 2011
The 2011 Te Tai Tokerau by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Te Tai Tokerau that was caused by Hone Harawira's resignation from the seat. He chose to re-contest it with the Mana Party in order to seek a new mandate for his views...
, held on 25 June 2011, which he won with a majority of 1117. As Leader of the Mana Party and Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau, he sits on the front bench in the New Zealand House of Representatives.
Early years
Harawira was born to John Puriri Harawira and Titewhai Harawira in WhangareiWhangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
in 1955. He was raised in West Auckland
West Auckland
West Auckland is a village in County Durham, in North East England. It is situated to the west of Bishop Auckland, on the A688 road.It is not known exactly when West Auckland was first inhabited, but there is evidence of Auckland West in the history of St. Cuthbert in the 11th century...
and attended St Stephen's School, a boarding school for Māori boys, and the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
. He credits people like Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Syd Jackson
Syd Jackson (New Zealand)
Syd Jackson was a prominent Māori activist, trade unionist and leader.Syd Jackson, of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Porou descent, first came to prominence at the University of Auckland, where he gained an MA. He was the chairman of the Māori Students Association, and then was a founder of Ngā Tamatoa...
, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, Maori Marsden, his mother and his wife for teaching him "the need for strength, commitment, wisdom and vision". His mother descends
Whakapapa
Whakapapa , or genealogy, is a fundamental principle that permeates the whole of Māori culture. However, it is more than just a genealogical 'device'...
from the Ngāti Hau
Ngati Hau
Ngāti Hau is a Māori iwi of New Zealand....
, Ngāti Wai
Ngati Wai
Ngāti Wai is a Māori iwi of the east coast of the Northland Region of New Zealand. Its historical area stretched from Cape Brett in the north to Takatu Point on Tawharanui Peninsula in the south and out to Great Barrier Island, the Poor Knights Islands and other offshore islands.Descendants of...
and Ngāti Hine tribes, his father from Te Aupōuri
Te Aupouri
Te Aupōuri is the northernmost Māori iwi , located north of Kaitaia, Northland, New Zealand, a region known as the Aupouri Peninsula.-The ancestral legend:...
, Ngāpuhi
Ngapuhi
Ngāpuhi is a Māori iwi located in the Northland region of New Zealand, and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands and Whāngārei.Ngāpuhi has the largest affiliation of any New Zealand iwi, with 122,214 people registered , and formed from 150 hapu, with 55 marae.-Foundations:The founding...
and Ngāti Whātua
Ngati Whatua
Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. It consists of four hapu : Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, Te Taoū, and Ngāti Whātua-o-Ōrākei....
, and he is part Pākehā
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
. He married Hilda Halkyard from the Ngāti Haua hapū
Hapu
A hapū is sometimes described as "the basic political unit within Maori society".A named division of a Māori iwi , membership is determined by genealogical descent; a hapū is made up of a number of whānau groups. Generally hapū range in size from 150-200 although there is no upper limit...
(subtribe) of Te Rarawa
Te Rarawa
Te Rarawa is a Māori iwi of Northland, New Zealand.-Prominent Te Rarawa:*Hector Busby, navigator and waka builder.*Whina Cooper, woman of mana, teacher, storekeeper and community leader....
.
Activism
His mother is a prominent Māori activist and Harawira himself played a role in Treaty of WaitangiTreaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
issues, Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
revitalisation, land occupations, and Māori broadcasting. In 1979 Harawira was part of He Taua, which confronted drunk University of Auckland engineering students who performed a parody of the "Ka Mate
Ka Mate
"Ka Mate" is a Māori haka composed by Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe of the North Island of New Zealand.-The creation and composition of Ka Mate:...
" haka with obscenities painted on their bodies. The group including Harawira assaulted them with baseball bats and hoses, resulting in several broken bones. He was a key participant in He Taua, the 1981 Springbok tour protests, and the 2004 foreshore and seabed
New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy
The New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title. These claims are based around historical possession and the Treaty...
hikoi
Hikoi
Hikoi is a term of the Maori language of New Zealand generally meaning a protest march or parade, usually implying a long journey taking days or weeks....
, the last of which led to him entering Parliament.
Harawira's family continue to engage in activism, with his nephews Wikatana Popata and John Junior Popata protesting in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at Te Tii Marae during the Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day
Waitangi Day commemorates a significant day in the history of New Zealand. It is a public holiday held each year on 6 February to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, on that date in 1840.-History:...
celebrations and Harawira has said he is proud of their actions. In 2009 they were convicted of assaulting Prime Minister John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
and sentenced to community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
.
Member of Parliament
In Parliament Harawira has continued in his tradition as a rebel, breaking protocol to open Parliament in Māori; saying the former Australian Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
"John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
is a racist bastard" for his intervention into aboriginal affairs; being fined for leaving a planned parliamentary overseas tour to make headlines over aboriginal rights; and for continually challenging the government’s Māori MPs for "not defending Māori rights". A student at Waikato University
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
complained about Harawira in April 2009 after an incident where Harawira swore in response to a question referring to Māori as a "minority group". He explained that the political science student, Steve Baron, was a racist who "lumped Māori in with other minorities like homosexuals and Asians.....He tried it on and he got his comeuppance."
Harawira writes a regular column in the Kaitaia
Kaitaia
Kaitaia is a town in the far north region of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula which is about 160 km northwest of Whangarei. It is the last major settlement on the main road north to the capes and bays on the peninsula...
-based newspaper The Northland Age, entitled Ae Marika. In the edition dated 29 October 2009, during the time he was on a Parliamentary trip in Europe, he wrote:
"...we've been scrapping and squabbling and brawling and bawling about this, that and the other thing for so long that all of the original Waitangi Tribunal claimants are now long dead."
"...the European Union...27 distinct languages and hundreds of different dialects...political diversity...everyone doing their best to talk with one another, and work together!"
"So hangin' with these folks has been a great learning experience."
"...I for one learned heaps."
Following his return from Europe, in November 2009 Hawawira was asked to repay some travel costs after skipping a taxpayer-funded conference in Brussels to go sightseeing in Paris. "How many times in my lifetime am I going to get to Europe? So I thought, 'F*** it, I'm off. I'm off to Paris'," he said. In a subsequent email exchange with Buddy Mikaere (a former director of the Waitangi Tribunal
Waitangi Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975...
), who had criticised Harawira's actions, Harawira lashed out at white people, stating "Gee Buddy, do you believe that white man bull**** too do you? 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....And, quite frankly, I don't give a shit what you or anyone else thinks about it. OK?". Harawira's email was seen as racist and heavily criticised by the media, other members of Parliament, and members of the public.
After a lengthy discussion process, the Māori Party decided that he would not face punishment. On Radio Waatea he apologised for the wording of his email but not for the sentiment of it. He also said in an apology "My words were true." Harawira later said that Labour Party leader Phil Goff
Phil Goff
Philip Bruce Goff is the current Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. During the Fifth Labour Government, he served in a number of ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Defence of New Zealand, Minister of Corrections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and...
was a "bastard" and "should be lined up against a wall and shot" for passing the Foreshore and Seabed Act
Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004
The Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 is Act of the Parliament of New Zealand. It arose out of, and further fueled, the New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy.It was replaced by the Marine and Coastal Area Bill.-External links:*...
.
On 31 July 2010 Harawira told the New Zealand Herald he "wouldn't feel comfortable" if one of his children came home with a Pākehā
Pakeha
Pākehā is a Māori language word for New Zealanders who are "of European descent". They are mostly descended from British and to a lesser extent Irish settlers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although some Pākehā have Dutch, Scandinavian, German, Yugoslav or other ancestry...
partner, but he asked whether "all Pākehās would be happy with their daughters coming home with a Māori boy? The answer is they wouldn't." He was asked, since some of his whānau
Whanau
Whānau , is a Māori-language word for extended family, now increasingly entering New Zealand English, particularly in official publications.In Māori society, the whānau is also a political unit, below the level of hapū and iwi, and the word itself also has other meanings: as a verb meaning to give...
have dated Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
s and he didn't have an issue with it, "does that make him prejudiced?" He said "Probably, but how many people don't have prejudices?" He was criticised for his comments as being "racist and stupid" by National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
MP Tau Henare
Tau Henare
Tau Henare is a New Zealand Māori parliamentarian. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1993 to 1999 and returned to Parliament in 2005. He has been involved with four political parties: Mana Motuhake, New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the National Party - representing three in...
.
Ngāpuhi
Ngapuhi
Ngāpuhi is a Māori iwi located in the Northland region of New Zealand, and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands and Whāngārei.Ngāpuhi has the largest affiliation of any New Zealand iwi, with 122,214 people registered , and formed from 150 hapu, with 55 marae.-Foundations:The founding...
activist David Rankin said Harawira was "playing the race card every time he wants to 'create a smoke screen for other issues'". A political opponent of Harawira's (he polled 202 votes to Harawira's 12,019 votes in the Tai Tokerau seat at the 2008 election),
Rankin is Harawira's cousin and claims seniority over the Harawira family in the Matarahurahu hapū. He noted that Harawira's grandfather was a Pākehā, saying "Harawira has a blind spot. His family even changed their name from Hatfield to Harawira because they are in denial about their racial identity."
In contrast, Māori Party co-leader Pita Sharples
Pita Sharples
Pita Russell Sharples, CBE, , a Māori academic and politician, currently co-leads the Māori Party. He currently is the member for Tamaki Makaurau in New Zealand's Parliament.-Early life:...
said Harawira's comments probably reflected the views of many people and were not racist. Also in his New Zealand Herald interview, Harawira said, when asked "why not be an independent MP?" that "I came here because the Maori Party provided me, and us, with the opportunity to change the world and I recognise the value of that."
Split with Māori Party
On 16 January 2011 in an interview published in the Sunday Star-Times, Harawira was highly critical of the Māori Party's relationship with the National Party, in particular over the Foreshore and SeabedNew Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy
The New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy is a debate in the politics of New Zealand. It concerns the ownership of the country's foreshore and seabed, with many Māori groups claiming that Māori have a rightful claim to title. These claims are based around historical possession and the Treaty...
issue, saying "If we support this bill, we’re effectively saying that our coalition with National is more important than our commitment to Māori – surely not?"
On 19 January 2011 the Māori Party received a complaint from one of its MP's Te Ururoa Flavell
Te Ururoa Flavell
Te Ururoa James William Ben Flavell is a New Zealand politician and serves as a member of the New Zealand Parliament.-Ancestry:...
which was supported by all the Party's other MP's, Rahui Katene
Rahui Katene
Rahui Katene is a New Zealand politician. She was elected to the 49th New Zealand Parliament at the 2008 general election representing the Māori Party in the seat of Te Tai Tonga, but lost in the 2011 general election to Labour's Rino Tirikatene.- Ancestry :...
, Pita Sharples
Pita Sharples
Pita Russell Sharples, CBE, , a Māori academic and politician, currently co-leads the Māori Party. He currently is the member for Tamaki Makaurau in New Zealand's Parliament.-Early life:...
, and Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result...
. A leak of the internal complaint document showed that all of the other Māori Party MP's had "lost trust and confidence" in Mr Harawira, that he "acted unethically and without integrity" and that he "deliberately undermined" the party and the leaders. A few days afterwards, Harawira called the procedure being followed to investigate the complaint a "joke" and "farcical", denying him natural justice. "I also think that it's very, very pākehā the way it's being run", he said. In a later response, Harawira described his Party colleagues as "dickheads."
On 7 February 2011 Harawira was suspended from the Māori Party caucus, with a statement by Turia and Sharples saying they had lost faith in him after five years of ill-discipline. He responded saying he wishes to stay with the party and stand for it in the 2011 election.
On 23 February 2011 Harawira left the Māori Party after the party's disciplinary committee recommended his expulsion. His resignation coming following the Māori Party's support for the National Party, in particular over the Foreshore and Seabed issue, on 8 March 2011 Harawira missed the vote in Parliament for the crucial second reading of the legislation which replaced the Foreshore and Seabed Act.
Mana Party
On 30 April 2011 he announced the formation of the Mana PartyMana Party (New Zealand)
The Mana Party is a New Zealand political party led by Hone Harawira. It was formed in April 2011, and plans to contest the 2011 general election. Standing under the Mana Party banner, Mana won an early victory when Mr Harawira won the by-election in Te Tai Tokerau held on 25 June 2011...
, stating that he would resign from Parliament and would contest the resulting by-election
Te Tai Tokerau by-election, 2011
The 2011 Te Tai Tokerau by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Te Tai Tokerau that was caused by Hone Harawira's resignation from the seat. He chose to re-contest it with the Mana Party in order to seek a new mandate for his views...
. Harawira responded to criticisms that a by-election would be "a ridiculous publicity stunt mainly about the tens of thousands of dollars he stands to gain if he returns to Parliament as a party leader," and that it would cost New Zealand taxpayers $500,000, by arguing for the need to receive a fresh mandate from the people of Te Tai Tokerau, saying that "It's hardly an expense in terms of democracy." On 3 May 2011 he delayed his planned resignation from Parliament, saying he wanted to take the decision back to the people of his Te Tai Tokerau electorate. Although he was the leader of the Mana Party, he would remain an independent MP until elected as such.
On 2 May 2011 in an interview on TVNZ's Māori-language programme 'Te Karere
Te Karere
Te Karere is a New Zealand news and current affairs programme broadcast in the Māori language. Te Karere is broadcast on Television New Zealand's TV ONE at 4:45 pm on weekdays and repeated 6:00 am the following day. It is available in Windows Media format from 5:00 pm after the...
', Harawira said that the former leader of Al Qaeda Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
's actions were those of "a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people" and that people should not be damning him but mourn him. Harawira later explained that Māori do not speak ill of the dead "even if such a person has done bad things", and apologised for how he had expressed himself, saying his mihi to the Bin Laden family was not intended "as support for Bin Laden's actions."
Harawira received threats following his remarks about bin Laden, which were dealt with by the police.
Harawira's formal resignation from Parliament as an Independent MP on 11 May 2011, effective 21 May, caused a by-election
Te Tai Tokerau by-election, 2011
The 2011 Te Tai Tokerau by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Te Tai Tokerau that was caused by Hone Harawira's resignation from the seat. He chose to re-contest it with the Mana Party in order to seek a new mandate for his views...
in his Te Tai Tokerau constituency. Harawira ran as the Mana Party's candidate and received 6065 votes, winning the seat with a majority of 1117. Harawira returned to Parliament on 14 July 2011 during the Start of Day ceremony but was removed from the chamber by Speaker of the House Lockwood Smith
Lockwood Smith
Alexander Lockwood Smith is a New Zealand politician, the 28th and current Speaker of the House of Representatives. Smith is a member of the New Zealand National Party, who has served as a Member of Parliament since 1984...
for not pledging the oath of allegiance for newly-elected Members of Parliament required by New Zealand law. He returned on 2 August, affirmed the oath in Māori and as leader of the Mana Party took a seat on the front bench.