By Willie Jackson

I really will be stunned if Te Tai Tokerau voters decide that Hone Harawira's time is up.

But this looms as a possibility after a poll on Maori TV which showed only 1 percent between Harawira and Labour's Kelvin Davis.

Harawira led the poll with 41 percent followed by Davis on 40 percent and the Maori Party's Solomon Tipene on 15 percent.

Labour now smells blood and will throw everything at Harawira for the chance to win the seat over the next seven days.

Labour's Maori MPs, apart from Parekura Horomia, have been largely irrelevant in the Maori seats. Most were punished for their treachery over the Foreshore and Seabed Act and it had been widely expected that the Maori seats would all be won by the Maori Party.

But that was before Harawira and the Maori Party fell out. And now the situation is markedly different.

If Labour ends up winning this seat then Te Tai Tokerau voters should fold up shop and don't bother us with any talk about tino rangatiratanga again.

After all this was the electorate that initiated the historic Maori land march in 1975, the hikoi in 1984 and the biggest protests against the breaches of the treaty.

And of course the greatest Maori protest of the last generation, the hikoi against the shameful Foreshore bill was driven from out of Te Tai Tokerau.

Ironically the leader of that hikoi, Hone Harawira, is now on shaky ground with a seat that deserves to be his for the next generation.

Labour's challenger is a good solid man but is representing a party that sold Maori in the North down the tubes.

Harawira was the one who challenged them, who talked the talk of the people who felt betrayed by Labour, who has been the Maori conscience in Parliament for the last six years and now unbelievably could lose his position as Te Tai Tokerau representative.

Solomon Tipene could be a major contributor if Harawira loses his seat.

The Maori Party needs to consider this.

Tipene is clearly not going to win but he could take enough votes off Harawira for Davis to do so.

Is that really what the Maori Party wants?

Their leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples should show true leadership and tell Tipene to stand down. Davis is already going back to Parliament on the list so voting Harawira will mean the North will have two MPs.

Te Tai Tokerau needs strong Maori advocates.

If the Maori Party is seen in any way responsible for returning Te Tai Tokerau to Labour, they will stand damned for their actions for years to come.

Auckland Stuff.co.nz - 17th June 2011