WAITANGI - Opposition is growing among some Ngapuhi elders to Maori activist Titewhai Harawira escorting the Prime Minister on to Te Tii Marae at Waitangi.
A kaumatua, Graeme Rankin, has warned Mrs Harawira that if she escorts Jenny Shipley on to the marae tomorrow for the preliminary meeting before Waitangi Day
he will take action.
"Every year she comes to Waitangi and disrupts things," Mr Rankin said. "We have had enough of it. She rubbishes the men of Ngapuhi and tries to take centre stage."
During the formal welcoming ceremony he would "tell Titewhai what I think about her." But this would be done, he said, diplomatically and "without bloodshed."
Mrs Harawira could not be contacted last night because she was heading north from her Auckland home.
In a turnaround from a few days ago, Mr Rankin said he had no problem with Mrs Shipley standing and replying to the formal welcome.
"I [had] said she would not be able to stand during the formal ceremony but we will be recognising the office, not the person. The issue of gender does not come into it. As far as we are concerned, she is not a woman but the leader of a country."
Last year, Mrs Harawira disrupted what seemed likely to be a Waitangi commemoration free of controversy when she reduced Labour Party leader Helen Clark to tears by challenging her right to speak on the marae before Ngapuhi women had been granted the same courtesy.
Mr Rankin agreed with Mrs Harawira's stance but said it was the wrong time to do it.
"If Mrs Shipley did stand to reply to our welcome, what would Titewhai do? Would she challenge Mrs Shipley's right to stand or would she just sit there and take it? It will be an interesting situation."
The chairman of Te Tii Marae, Kingi Taurua, said he did not agree with Mrs Harawira's role either but would do nothing about it.
"I will not interfere, while I don't agree with her escorting Mrs Shipley, there is nothing I would do about it."
Meanwhile, Dick Dargaville, a convener of the Waitangi forum where iwi air their views to the Crown, wants protocols established for the media.
"We want them to know that there will be rules to media coverage including balanced reporting."
