Taking this into account it appears Hone shares more in common with his former colleagues - meaning the Maori Party - than he cares to admit. I read Maori as being a conservative people, if not always politically. This is true of Maori raised in the radical tradition too, the most prominent example being Hone Harawira.

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Caritas supports the retention of Section 9 of the State Owned Enterprises Act 1986 as it relates to the new legislation being proposed under the Public Finance Act and believes insufficient time has been allowed for meaningful consultation.

The Constitutional Review provides a better opportunity and a more appropriate forum for any reconsideration of the wording of Section 9

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is the Catholic agency for Justice, Peace and Development, mandated by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference to work for the elimination of poverty and injustice through development and aid work internationally, and through advocacy and education for social justice in New Zealand. They made their submission in consultation with Te Runanga 0 Te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa.

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops said in 1995:

"To the Government: Please, keep trying to address the grievances of the past with integrity and consultation. The indigenous people of our country, the Maori, deserve better than unilateral arrangements and imposed settlements for genuine, acknowledged wrongs. Treaty of Waitangi issues are not about party politics. They are about honouring with goodwill the covenant entered into by the Crown and Maori, on which this nation is founded. They are about the right of the first occupants to land, and a social and political organisation which would allow them to preserve their cultural identity. They are about a people still searching for the sovereignty guaranteed them 150 years ago. We ask then that you look boldly to a new process of consultation on the meaning and application of tino rangatiratanga and kawanatanga as encompassed in Te Tiriti."
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference: A statement on the Treaty of Waitangi in today's perspective, 1995

The Caritas submission concluded by saying that at the Consultation Hui in Te Whanganui-a-Tara many of the speakers stated that the wrong questions were being asked. This submission supports that viewpoint. This consultation process does not try to resolve any grievances but in fact creates more problems due to the limited scope of engagement

Source

• Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
• Image: Getty

The Maori Party and the Greens are also sending the money back. They have rejected donations from the Todd Corporation. Todd Corporation owns Todd Energy and Todd Capital and has significant oil and gas mining interests.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the Todd Corporation had offered the Green Party $5000, which was rejected by the party under its "major donations" policy.

Dr Norman said although the Green Party approved of some of Todd's initiatives in energy, the party was opposed to some of its mining practices. "They also do some things we don't agree with. So we said `no thank you'. It wasn't acrimonious."

The Maori Party has followed the Green Party's lead by rejecting a $5000 donation from Todd Corporation, saying the company's mining interests were against its beliefs.

Source

• Auckland Now
• Otago Daily Times
• New Zealand Herald
• Image: Inksinct Cartoons

Kereama Pene, an apotoro rehita (senior minister), in the Ratana church believes Mr Hone Harawira closely embodies this prophecy.

"The founder of Ratana carried two books - the Bible and the Treaty. He always believed that one day the Treaty should become the foundation document of New Zealand. Not just a piece of paper." However, prophecy was also important said Mr Pene

• Hone Harawira said he was humbled by the support and talk that he might be the northern Treaty man spoken of, but he was not actively pursuing it.
• Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia has expressed surprise that an individual member of the Ratana Church has been elevated to speak for its membership. "I would have thought that any position purporting to be the views of Te Haahi Ratana would have come forth from the Tumuaki, Hare Meihana," Mrs Turia said. I always find it difficult when his great name is associated with political tactics of the day - we need to hold fast to his memory and rise above the lobbying."

Mr Pene, who is ineligible to vote in tomorrow's by-election because he lives in the Tamaki Makaurau electorate, is from Te Tai Tokerau. He is campaigning for the Mana Party.