First Annette; now Hone

It's been reported that Mana Party hot-shot Annette Sykes celebrated when al-Qaeda attacked the USA on 9/11. Check out this exchange between Hone Harawira and Duncan Garner on The Nation just last Saturday:

Duncan And what's Annette said about standing, Annette Sykes?

Hone Annette said she'd be happy to consider it and we'll probably hear her answer later on today at the party launch.

Duncan And she would be potentially number two on your party list and stand in Waiariki which is against the Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell. Would that make sense?

Hone Ha ha ha. Look you know Annette as well as I do. She'd make a great leader of this party. This isn't about me being the leader, this is about the kaupapa leading the party. This is about the people in this country recognising in this party a beacon in a time of desperate straits for a lot of Maori, Pacific Islanders and Pakeha.

Duncan Are you comfortable with someone like Annette Sykes being so involved, I mean remember what she said around the time of 9/11 where she laughed and effectively applauded and clapped when those planes went into the towers on 9/11? I mean are you comfortable being a party in parliament having someone like that there?

Hone I'm comfortable having alongside me one of the strongest Maori women I have ever met, one of the strongest women I have ever met, a person who's courageous in all that she's done, who has defended those that all other lawyers have walked away from, and who is fearless in her dealings with government, with Iwi leaders, and with all levels of society. I have great respect for Annette Sykes.

Note that Harawira, whilst giving Annette Sykes a stirring endorsement glosses over Garner's allegations. Now we know why; check this out, from this morning's Herald:

Hone Harawira has described Osama bin Laden as "a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people".

In tributes on Maori-language television, the leader of the new Mana Party said the al-Qaeda founder should be "honoured" rather than "damned" in death according to Maori culture.

Mr Harawira twice paid tribute to bin Laden in te reo, saying it was Maori custom to acknowledge the dead.

United States President Barack Obama announced on Monday US troops had killed the al-Qaeda leader and the news was quickly welcomed by Prime Minister John Key and Labour leader Phil Goff.

However, many Maori politicians had a different perspective.

Mr Harawira said on Maori Television's Native Affairs that bin Laden had "pursued independence for his people, his family and his tribe".

Fortunately, not all Maori share Harawira's and Sykes' extreme view of bin Laden. Shane Jones replies:

Labour MP Shane Jones said he did not have the same level of affection for bin Laden as Mr Harawira.

He also scotched Mr Harawira's claim that it was Maori custom to always pay tribute to the dead.

"In the old days, a great enemy - if he wasn't eaten - his bones were used to make musical instruments. So this romantic notion that in the old time, Maori spent hours of their time saluting the enemy was not the case.

"Enemies were turned to dust and people rejoiced, because of the suffering they had caused."

Quite so. Jones shows a refreshing level of honesty in this case, and his opinion will resonate with far more New Zealanders, both Maori and Pakeha than will that of Harawira and his comrade Sykes. They are extremists, and their views should be considered in that light.

Hone Harawira looked quite reasoned and measured during his debate with Don Brash on Close Up last night. Appearances can be deceiving however; we reckon that he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. His extreme views are far more like those of Green MP Keith Locke; so much so in fact that we wonder whether Locke is considering jumping waka.