Hone's line in the sand

Hone has found his line in the sand and he is saying the maori party should hold the ground with the gnats against the amendment from ACT to legislate that maori cannot sell. Fair enough - that line is a line, but for me there were plenty of previous lines that could and should have been drawn - like the insults to Tuhoe, like the insults to tangata whenua over exploring for oil and gas without consulting maori, like the GST increase and so on. The whole repeal of the F&S Act was the line in the sand and the resulting new legislation still discriminates against maori by allowing more rights to private property owners than holders of so called 'customary title', that is if any hapu or iwi could ever meet the test. That is the line in the sand that should have been held.

From Waatea News

"Maori Party MP Hone Harawira says his party should walk away from the Government if National does an inside deal with ACT over the foreshore and seabed."

Mr Harawira says the Maori Party has already compromised to get the Foreshore and Seabed Act repealed, and that should be the end of it.

“I don't see why we should sit back and allow a little fat redneck like Rodney Hide put in an amendment at the last minute. We should be saying to National, ‘Here’s the deal National. If you want to do deals with Rodney Hide go right ahead. We’re out.’ As a matter of principle we should say ‘Nah, you wouldn’t do deals with us on the super city so we’re not doing any deals with you guys and Rodney Hide over the foreshore and seabed,’” Mr Harawira says.

He says while National would still have the numbers to pass the amendment, the Maori Party would have stood up for its principles.

Yes the compromises have been made and time will tell they were correct decisions, for me the compromises were ineffective because the repeal is bogus. It is time for the maori party to accept the truth because they know the truth, - it's just a matter of going back to the kaupapa.

But good on you Hone, at least one member of the party is saying publically what needs to be said.