Amid cries of racism and snipes between the Maori Party and its former colleague Hone Harawira, the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill was passed yesterday.

The Government's coalition partners have been warned their pet projects will not be exempt from the drive for savings in this year's Budget, with funding for the Act Party's taskforce and Maori Party's Whanau Ora scheme under review.

"Racist" and "inappropriate" remarks by Act MP Hilary Calvert have been condemned by the Maori Party and Attorney-General.

So National and Act are allies, right? Anyone who was not aware this is the case could have been excused thinking otherwise had they sat through Act's annual conference at the weekend.

Act leader accuses middle class of stopping projects which create jobs for less well-off.

Hone Harawira says it was "dumb" and shameful that he forgot to vote on the bill that was the main reason for his break with the Maori Party.

The second reading of the bill to replace the Foreshore and Seabed Act has passed through Parliament and former Maori Party MP Hone Harawira wasn't there to vote against it - despite the bill being the reason for him leaving his party.

Act Party leader Rodney Hide says there is no doubt that that few politicians have had such an influence on the direction of New Zealand as Sir Roger Douglas.

We shouldn't forget the first-past-the-post system twice delivered Robert Muldoon a government with fewer votes than Labour.

More than half of all voters support keeping MMP, a new poll shows.