KEY POINTS:
Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP
Why do you think occupying land is a way of resolving disputes?
S White, Waitakere
When you do things the proper way, and you find out the other side is actually flogging off the crown jewels before they get to the negotiation table,
what do you do? You take direct action to safeguard your position. That's what any intelligent person would do. That's what Tuwharetoa did, that's what Ngati Kahu did, and that's what Hauraki did. My congratulations to those iwi for standing up for themselves.
Do you think the tension over land will lead to violence between Maori and Pakeha?
L Marshall, Hamilton
No, I don't actually. We've had heaps of support from Pakeha New Zealanders for our stand on these land repossessions. Most Kiwis didn't even know that the Government was selling Landcorp properties to overseas interests, and they're highly pissed off about it. We got a letter from this angry 80-year-old Pakeha woman who told us kia kaha; for standing up to people who don't give a stuff that far too much of this country's land is being sold to greedy investors And last week this Pakeha guy told me he drove all the way out to Whenuakite [site of a land occupation at Coromandel], because he knew they'd been ripped off and he wanted to give them his support.
Which coalition partner is most likely to understand the Maori Party's feeling on land issues?
John B, Wellington
We're not into coalition deals at the moment. What we're trying to do is build an understanding among all parties that advancing Maori interests actually benefits the whole nation. We are the party that clearly represents that Maori interest on all issues, including land. And we have already proved that we're prepared to work with anyone intelligent enough to see a positive future for Aotearoa.
Do you think that current immigration policies are aimed at stopping the "browning" of New Zealand?
Anonymous, via email
A couple of years ago, statisticians predicted we'd be the largest Polynesian centre in the world. And then, hello, in the last two years, all of a sudden the net number of migrants from the UK goes up by 20,000. Government will tell you it's not about race, it's about skills. Brownies will say 'yeah right'.
What's your favourite thing about being an MP for the Maori Party?
F Fisher, Auckland
Everything really. Maori finally have their own voice in the House.
