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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Friday, June 03, 2011

Maori Party cries foul over sisterly support

Maori Party vice-president Ken Mair is crying foul over the Mana Party's tactics in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election.

He says a campaign stop in Kaitaia this week was disrupted by a group led by Hinewhare Harawira, the sister of Mana's Hone Harawira, who swore at and abused Maori Party candidate Solomon Tipene.

"If we really truly believe in our kauapa, if we really believe in the concept, the integrity of the word mana, then we need to stand up and make it loud and clear to people that go against our kaupapa, abuse our kaupapa, you mustn’t and we won’t allow you to get away with it,” Mr Mair says.

He says the incident echoed last month's Maori Party hui at Waitangi, where Hinewhare Harawira and her mother Titewhai abused participants and party leaders.

CAMPAIGN TACTICS COULD BACKFIRE

And Labour candidate Kelvin Davis warns the Harawira tactics could backfire on the Mana Party.

Mr Davis says what Maori in the electorate want to know is what the political parties are doing to ensure there are jobs for themselves and their young people, and how cuts in government services will affect them.

He says candidates should stick to the issues.

“It's pretty disappointing to see Hone’s sister going off against Solomon Tipene as he was campaigning. I think despite the fact we’re in other parties, everybody’s got to treat people with respect and I don’t think it goes down well in Maori electorate when we have the politics of abuse going on, so that’s disappointing to see,” Mr Davis says.

Hone Harawira denies the incident happened.

BRIGHT MATARIKI PROMISING PROSPEROUS YEAR

The first sightings have been made of Matariki, also known at Pleiades, the constellation that marks the Maori new year.

Chef and artist Rewi Spraggon says while it has become an excuse to celebrate Maori arts and culture, Matariki was also the time when Maori of old would remember those who had died through the year and also look forward.

He says his first sighting before sunrise yesterday from the top of the Waitakere ranges in west Auckland was of a bright cluster to the northeast at the tail of the milky way, indicating a prosperous year ahead.

One of the ways he's marking Matariki is to run a food forum at Auckland War Memorial Museum next Tuesday and Wednesday, showing people traditional Maori ways of preparing and preserving kai.

HARAWIRA DENIES KAITAIA SWEARING INCIDENT

Mana leader Hone Harawira is denying his sister swore at Maori Party candidate Solomon Tipene during a campaign stop in Kaitaia.

Maori Party vice-president Ken Mair says the incident made a mockery of Mr Harawira's use of the name Mana.

But Mr Harawira says he has video evidence showing the incident never happened ... and if Mr Mair has a genuine complaint he should take it to the police.

“But seriously Ken Mair, stick to Whanganui, and don’t come in to Tai Tokerau and bullshit your way around. We don’t appreciate that. We’ve got work to be doing. I’d like to get on in a positive way with the Maori Party candidate, whatever his name is, but we don’t need people coming from Whanganui and trying to tell us how we can act in the Tai Tokerau,” Mr Harawira says.

He says Ken Mair can't even speak Maori, let alone understand the meaning of words like mana.

GREENS WANT MORATORIUM ON DRILLING CONSENTS

Greens co-leader Meteria Turei is calling for a moratorium on granting more oil exploration or mining consents until new protections are in place.

The Government has promised a new regulatory regime to be administered by the new Environment Protection Agency.

Ms Turei says Maori have been at the forefront of protests against oil exploration, and they're concerned that even Environment Minister Nick Smith admits current guidelines are unenforceable.

“Having a moratorium for any new permits or any kind of exploration for mining in the marine environment would be very good idea. The delay in implementing the EPA in the new environmental legislation is too long,” Ms Turei says.

She says there is a clear pro-development bias evident in Dr Smith's appointments to the 8-member Environment Protection Agency board.

SINGER’S STORY SPARKS SKERRETT FAMILY QUEST

Christchurch woman Angela Skerrett-Tainui wants to see the life of her great aunt turned into a film.

Evaline Jane Skerrett from Ngai Tahu and Ngati Mamoe became internationally famous in the early decades of the 20th century as an opera singer called Princess Iwa.

Ms Skerrett-Tainui has produced a tribute CD featuring many of the songs in the contralto's repertoire, with narration provided by Tim Shadbolt and Sam Neill, who wanted to celebrate a southern success story.

“I just think this would make a stunning move. It’s got all the ingredients – the adventure, it’s got singing, travel, performance, she was friends with Charlie Chaplin and really ultimately she did so much to promote her Maori culture which she was so proud of,” she says.

She has set up a Princess Iwa Facebook page to find out more information about her tupuna.

1 Comments:

Blogger marangamai said...

Maori Party lied about abuse thrown at them it was the Maori Party whom gave insult and abuse by cursing "get a life" and "bullshit" to the youth in Kaitaia says Mereana who heard the Maori Party say these words as she stood by them.
SHAME
We have a video tape of exactly what happened and Ken Mair has made false statements and accusations in regards to Hinewhare in which we have many witnesses including those from in the shops within that area.
After they had left (the Maori Party)people came out of the shops and spoke to us about your their behaviour (Maori Party) in Kaitaia and the affect on them. It was not good.

12:32 am  

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