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One big happy family

[Just to provide a different take on today's events]

Well, in a stunning blow to the importance of whānau and demonstrating that blood is not thicker than water, Hone Harawira has been labelled the bad child and not just sent to the naughty box, but ostracised from the family. Turfed out. Rejected.

Or in political terms, suspended from the Caucus.

A joint statement issued today by Maori Party leaders Tariana Turia and Dr Pita Sharples said the party caucus no longer had any faith in Mr Harawira.

This time, Turia and Sharples are not blaming Paheka, they've picked up Pakeha's messages of "personal responsibility" and laid it all at Hone's feet.

The Māori Party leadership declare Hone is exactly where he is today because of HIS actions and not the environment he is required to work in, nor the Pakeha rules he is required to play. There is no whānau ora support program for Hone, he is gone. They are sounding more like National every day.

Should I be liking this Pakeha attitude? Will the Māori Party figure out that they could say that a bit louder and a bit stronger, or is this wisdom only reserved for Hone?

So Hone joins the disenfranchised Māori looking from outside at those on the inside, who ironically, keep telling their people they are there to change things for the disenfranchised.

And Hone's view remains the same.  He is the one being disrespected.  He thought he was free to speak his mind, but some people seem to want to attribute consequences to words.  He goes back to his own treaty document asking for redress:

Harawira said the suspension showed "huge disrespect" for the kaupapa (loosely translated as values and principles) on which the Maori Party was founded.

But that's exactly the problem according to Dr Sharples and Mrs Turia, who accused Hone Harawira of breaching the policies and kaupapa of the Māori Party.  Ironically, they seem a little dismissive of their own Treaty document equivalent: "Having no regard for the constitution is one thing."   and push on with the importance of far more binding matters: It is quite another to have no regard for the kaupapa and tikanga of the party, and that is really what has brought us to this point."

Having been accused of having no regard for tikanga (general behaviour guidelines for daily life and interaction in Māori culture), Harawira countered with a slur that the Māori Party were indeed engaging in Pakeha Politics:

"[my suspension is] consistent with a pakeha political process which forced Tariana Turia to leave the Labour Party; a process we had decided would never, ever be used in our own party".

So we see again a mirror of the greater problem.  Minority Māori saying they are being done over by Pakeha Politics, even if the Pakehas in question are Māori.

Kia ora Hone. E haere rā.

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