Māori Party to announce deal with Hone Harawira

Hone Harawira will run largely uncontested in Te Tai Tokerau against Labour’s Kelvin Davis (Getty)
Hone Harawira will run largely uncontested in Te Tai Tokerau against Labour’s Kelvin Davis (Getty)

Hone Harawira's Parliamentary comeback plan will be unveiled today in Whangarei, in the form of an electorate deal with the Māori Party. 

It will see the Māori Party stand aside in Te Tai Tokerau at the election, leaving Mr Harawira to run largely uncontested against Labour's Kelvin Davis. 

It's the first time the Māori Party and Mr Harawira's Mana Movement have worked together since an ugly divorce in 2011 when Mr Harawira was thrown out of the party.

He lost the seat to Mr Davis at the last election after getting into bed with Kim Dotcom's Internet Party. Mr Davis isn't surprised at the new deal, and isn't worried either. 

"They are welcome to each other. The sooner they get together, the sooner they'll tear each other apart," he says. 

"You have to respect whoever stands against you but quite frankly, I can't see it really going the distance."

Mr Davis takes aim at Mr Harawira too, claiming he's standing for the wrong reasons. 

"There's a number of reasons why people should stand for Parliament, but just trying to restore your own battered pride isn't one of them."

The deal is likely to be the first of many between the new allies, with Mana likely to stand aside in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat to give Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox a better chance against Labour's Meka Whaititi.

Newshub.