Hone Harawira for Foreign Affairs Minister
by Jake Quinn
My favourite MP has got himself into a little pickle with the Prime Minister calling his comments about white folk “deeply offensive”.
Stuff reports:
In an email exchange released to Radio New Zealand, Mr Harawira accused “white motherf***ers” of “puritanical bullshit” for expecting him to follow the rules.
Most politicians try to be so damn polite all the time, but not Hone, oh no. He calls a spade a god-damn honkey son of a bitch.
Hone continues:
“White motherf***ers have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries and all of a sudden you want me to play along with their puritanical bullshit.”
Well, I’m no historian, but a casual reading of Michael King’s History of New Zealand has me thinking “the man has a point”.
Mr Harawira then went on to say how much time and energy he put into fighting for Maori and what a big role his wife Hilda played in that.
“And quite frankly I don’t give a shit what you or anyone else thinks about it. OK?”
Then he added a postscript saying he should feel free to go to the media.
“I answer to my people, not to them or to anybody else.”
It’s true, he doesn’t care what the mainstream media, or frankly Pakeha New Zealand, think of him. He’s been battling this lot his whole life. He has one target audience and that is far-north Maori of his electorate, Te Tai Tokerau, and they love him.
Unfortunately for him (and those of us who like to hear reports of what he gets up to while overseas) the Speaker and his party leaders probably won’t be signing off on any more overseas trips, which is a bummer. This kind of political story is much more interesting than constant chitchat of raising GST and all the other waffle coming out of the likes of the Tax Working Group and the Treasury.
Hone for Foreign Affairs Minister? Hell, Winston managed it..
Updates: [And if i were Tariana i’d be a little bit careful about how I handled Hone on this one, it’s not like he was the biggest fan of going into government with the Nats in the first place.]
[Do check out Hone’s press release about his trip to Paris which the standard describes as “a hilarious send up of the medium, including a section starting ‘here are your questions’ spoofing the slightly sinister habit of governments including Q+As in their press releases on new policies, where they decide not only the answers but the questions too.” Fantastic.]
Life and Politics 
“He calls a spade a god-damn honkey son of a bitch.”
Best. Sentence. Ever.
Having said that, I don’t agree. I’m not offended by him, but do think it’s a stupid, thuggish thing to say. It’s deliberately provocative and confrontational – he’s no better than an Iwi/Kiwi billboard.
On your latter point, I disagree. But can’t be bothered explaining why as i would just start a debate that i can’t be bothered having right now.
Fair enough. Another time.
aren’t you the gentleman 🙂
One small point of fact in the delicious snark: Buddy Mikaere isn’t “Pakeha New Zealand”.
And if you can’t handle strongly-worded criticism of your public behaviour without having an obscenity-laced meltdown, perhaps you need to find a more congenial line of work. Like minding goats. Or leading a cult.
or being Michael LHaw’s stunt double?
Is Hone on the piss again?
I don’t think so, but I’m damn tempted to tell my sobriety to frak off and die… 🙂
[…] me of follow-up comments via email. Hone Harawira for Foreign Affairs Minister RSS […]
I’m guessing this is satire? Because only a real idiot or ten year old bot would think its proper to call a race of people, Mother F***ers.
what on earth makes you think he’s talking about an entire race of people bretty?
a little too eager to take offence i think
I am a “migrant”, came to this country on a boat ,Right?
The Maori all came here on boats, even named their tribes after the canoes, Right?
Why am I not a “child of the land” as much as they are ?
zuh?
“what on earth makes you think he’s talking about an entire race of people bretty?”
Er, disingenuous much? What does “white people” or “black people” generally mean to you?