From Maori radical to key player in Parliament

By Peter de Graaf and NZPA
With the Maori Party's MPs meeting yesterday to talk coalition deals, Northland's Hone Harawira has been propelled from the role of radical to possible kingpin in New Zealand's next government.
The night before, in Kaitaia, several hundred supporters watched history in the making as the party took four of the seven Maori seats. It was the start of a new era for Maori, the newly elected MP for Te Tai Tokerau said. With just one seat separating Labour and National, both are likely to go knocking at the Maori Party's door in the coming days.
Speaking to The Northern Advocate on election night, Mr Harawira said his personal preference was to stay out of coalition. "We need to establish a measure of independence for Maori. We might work with parties, but not necessarily in a coalition."
The Maori Party had created, for the first time in 165 years, an independent Maori block in parliament. "That's huge, and we shouldn't treat that casually. As (party co-leader) Tariana Turia has asked, we will bring back any suggestion of coalition to our people," Mr Harawira said.
That process began yesterday, when the four MPs received a passionate welcome at Hoani Waititi Marae in West Auckland.
Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said the party was willing to talk with either National or Labour and had arranged talks with the Labour Party today. But unless National moved on its "one law for all" policy there was no chance of a coalition, he said.
"While National is saying `no' to the Maori seats then absolutely not, there's no way. I have heard he (National leader Don Brash) is considering his stance on the Maori seats, now all he has to do is reconsider the matter about the treaty (of Waitangi) and targeting Maori initiatives and who knows, we could be interested in talking to him," Mr Sharples said. He acknowledged most of Maori people's party vote had gone to Labour, making a deal with National unlikely.
The party's other co-leader, Tariana Turia, did not rule out a deal with National, saying she would wait to see what the party put on the negotiating table.
Meanwhile, Mr Harawira has already broken ranks, saying during Saturday's victory speech he wanted to reinstate a separate Maori Parliament. It would comprise all Maori MPs and have its first meeting at Waitangi. Mrs Turia played it down, saying the concept could be an ideal in 50 years time, but had not been discussed by the party.
The outgoing Te Tai Tokerau MP, Labour's Dover Samuels, conceded defeat early in the night, but said that as the Maori Party had made the foreshore and seabed law its campaign cornerstone, failure to repeal the law would make the party "the biggest con this side of the Treaty of Waitangi".