Sharples and the Maori Party revolt

Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 9 comments
Categories: climate change, maori party, national - Tags: , ,

Via Newsroom [offline], Pita Sharples has confirmed reports of an internal revolt within the Maori Party over its support for National’s ETS.

The Maori Party will honour its deal to back National’s emissions trading scheme despite many in the party being opposed to much of the ETS bill, co-leader Pita Sharples has said in a startling admission.

Under pressure from reports of a looming revolt within the party’s governing body over the ETS deal, Dr Sharples admits he does not know if there is widespread support in the party for the re-designed scheme.

However, he said the party would continue to vote for the legislation because it had made a commitment to do so and its integrity was on the line…

Pressed by journalists in Parliament, where the legislation is being debated under urgency, Dr Sharples could give only limited assurances about the level of support within Maoridom for the scheme.

Sharples sure has a strange view of what integrity means, but I guess it shows where his true loyalties lie. The Newsroom report goes on:

Parliament’s rules permit the party to cast only four of its five votes while co-leader Tariana Turia is in hospital and embattled Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira remains absent.

Mr Harawira is under instructions from his leadership to stay away while his future within the party is sorted out following his email outburst following revelations he had skipped out of an official overseas visit to go sightseeing in Paris.

There has been speculation Mr Harawira would have crossed the floor to vote against the ETS had he been in the House today.

That last piece of information certainly puts the Maori Party’s strange handling of the Harawira issue in a whole new light.

This was never about Paris or the white motherf*ckers, it was about Turia and Sharples avoiding the embarrassment of a renegade MP crossing the floor and showing them up for the sell-outs they are.

9 comments on “Sharples and the Maori Party revolt ”

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  1. fizzleplug 1
    25 November 2009 at 4:10 pm

    now now, speculation is a long way from truth.

  2. Doug 2
    25 November 2009 at 4:22 pm

    Eddie:
    Interviewing your keyboard again?

    • Bright Red 2.1
      25 November 2009 at 4:36 pm

      Doug. If you can’t access newsroom, that’s your problem. Don’t play the clown, no-one’s laughing

  3. Michael Foxglove 3
    25 November 2009 at 4:31 pm

    Cheers for the info Eddie. I think you’re on the mark, the problems in the Maori Party have been percolating a long time.

  4. Doug 4
    25 November 2009 at 5:05 pm

    Published: 3:10PM Wednesday November 25, 2009

    Source: NZPA

    The Maori Party’s ruling council is dismissing reports that it is discussing reneging on a deal over the emissions trading scheme (ETS) legislation.

    It was reported on Wednesday that Maori Party MPs were under pressure from party members to reverse their support for the ETS and that the national council would hold a telephone conference today, as some of the ruling body were unhappy about the deal with National.

    Maori Party co-vice president Te Orohi Paul says the report was incorrect as no meeting of the council had been arranged or authorised.

  5. Draco T Bastard 5
    25 November 2009 at 5:10 pm

    However, he (Sharples) said the party would continue to vote for the legislation because it had made a commitment to do so and its integrity was on the line

    Still doesn’t realise that the MP lost all integrity when it made the deals (sold out).

  6. grumpy 6
    25 November 2009 at 8:17 pm

    The Maori Party can’t afford to self destruct – or fail to support National.
    They know that once they are of no further use to National, they will revert to their previous policy and with ACT support move to abolish the Maori seats.

  7. Policy Parrot 7
    25 November 2009 at 11:35 pm

    The revised ETS, is a croc. ACT’s plan of delaying by one year would have even been better.

    Why?
    1. Because this ETS puts the burden of the cost of carbon emissions on the taxpayer, whilst subsidising Big Pollute.

    2. Even worse, however, is the fact that this ETS doesn’t even achieve the goal that ETS should set out to achieve, i.e. reduce carbon emissions.

    So, therefore you and me and Joe Taxpayer have to pay extra carbon costs for a scheme which doesn’t even work. Ironically enough, the Government’s erstwhile ally, ACT, criticisms are the most potent. The only thing this ETS achieves is a $25 million minimum subsidy per annum to iwi fat nerus.

    Farmers and exporters will still be exposed to negative carbon publicity, and possibly even environmental border taxes. Nick Smith can’t even deny that these are true, he can only fudge.

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