Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia was sickened by what she called "psychological abuse" meted out to her and others by MP Hone Harawira's mother and sister at a hui yesterday.
Mrs Turia said the entire meeting, at Waitangi's Te Tii Marae, was disrupted from 10am to 2pm.
"It was just terrible. It was the whole hui. It wasn't just two minutes. It was shouting, abusing, swearing, singing loud over the top of people."
She said Mr Harawira's mother, Titewhai, "kept shouting at me that I was a liar ... bloody liar ... snakes".
"Nobody could shut them up. They just shouted and denigrated people the whole way through the hui."
Mrs Harawira and daughter Hinewhare also tried to intimidate people by saying they had written down the names of those present.
"It was nothing short of being psychologically abusive and violent," said Mrs Turia. "I've never seen anything like it, to be honest. I felt sick."
In 1998, Mrs Turia was at Te Tii with Helen Clark when Mrs Harawira reduced the then Labour leader to tears over her being allowed to speak.
Titewhai Harawira has a long and chequered history. Her most infamous moment was a nine-month jail sentence for assaulting patients at her Whare Paia Maori mental health unit in Auckland in 1989. Age, it would seem, has not mellowed her.
Titewhai Harawira represents a small but exceedingly vocal section of Maori whom we do not believe represents mainstream Maori opinion. She, like her son is an extremist, who blames Pakeha for all the ills that Maori suffer.
Hone Harawira needs to front up here. Are his mother and sister members of the Mana Party, and if so, do they represent the Mana Party's policies. Their conduct yesterday was apalling, and will do nothing for the Mana Party's credibility, especially after Hone Harawira's gaffe in lauding Osama bin Laden last week.
Hone Harawira may claim that the Mana Party is his vehicle to put right Maori grievances. It seems though that his waka has been hijacked.
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The Financial Transaction Tax touted by the Mana Party was originally adapted by Kelvyn Alp for the party DDP in 2004 for the 2005 General Elections. (And he has proof of this) He has carried that policy into the OURNZ Party (going through formal registration).
Kelvyn approached Hone Harawira via Hone’s relations seeking to unite minor parties with similar aims. Hone asked for 1) the OURNZ Party policies (available at http://www.ournz.net/) to see if there were areas of agreement and 2) Mike Tamaki to call him. This was done and contact ceased.
His application of the Transaction Tax is inappropriate and will raise prices.
The original policy: Taxation rates are too high, meaning that companies are at a disadvantage when competing for foreign investment, business on the world stage and for real growth.
The solution is a 1% Transaction Tax on all outgoing financial transactions. The tax will replace ALL other taxes including many “hidden” taxes. Software programmed into RBNZ’s electronic clearing system will state daily transactions of the banking system, meaning implementation will be simple. Calculated on total transacted amount per annum, a tax of 1% will provide the Government with sufficient operating revenue.
Some think it would negatively affect the economy. This is a false notion and it will have a beneficial effect on the economy through being able to tax money that is now untaxed. This solution will bring prosperity, increases in employment and less dependence on the State.
Money was intended to distribute goods and services at an agreed value. Money was never meant to be a commodity. The solution is not to tax the real wealth of this country (labour, resources, business etc), but rather to tax how wealth is distributed. With no income tax, nor GST to pay, everybody will effectively have a pay rise.
So, the only Party that understands the application of the policy properly is OURNZ Party and we shall be campaigning on this and other policies this year. Join us on the OURNZ Group discussion page on Facebook!
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