February 09, 2017
Waitangi stance shows lack of leadership
Mana leader Hone Harawira says the Prime Minister can’t run away from Waitangi at Waitangi Day, however chaotic it may seem.
Mr Harawira says the way Te Tii Marae handled visitors this year wasn’t good, and he’s happy to contribute to sorting out how it should handle future events around Waitangi Day
Bill English didn’t show because of conditions the marae tried to impose on his speech, which he delivered instead at events in Tamaki Makaurau.
Mr Harawira says while there are 50 other places in the country where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, Waitangi itself is special.
"If those areas want to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in their area and want the Prime Minister to come, write to him but don't run away Mr Prime Minister. Otherwise you are showing a lack of leadership, you are showing a lack of courage and you are showing a lack of integrity in terms of the treaty and its role within this nation," he says.
Mr Harawira says the media ban imposed by Te Tii Marae came across as a pitch for money rather than a statement of principle of tikanga.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH HONE HARAWIRA
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