A couple of weeks ago I was prepared to write a glowing blog about Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP for Tai Tokerau. I like Hone because he is in touch with the people and knows that the basis for creating a better future for Maori lies in education and social spending. But I get uneasy when he is silent about ethical issues. He hasn't said very much about Winni-tanga and recently worked behind the scenes to squash serious assault charges against a Maori man who beat up a housing corporation worker.
Increasingly, he is being seen getting cozy with the old guard of maoridom, quietly supporting their back room tactics in dealings with Northern Iwi. I always saw him as a man of unbridled ethics, but now I'm beginning to wonder if he hasn't become too enamored with having the inside goss and being part of the larger established politic. It's a slippery slope.
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