Friday, July 1, 2011

McCarten’s Mana Game-play

I shall be KING!
Mana leader Hone Harawira says he’s ready to work with the Maori Party - but as an equal, not being told what to do. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight: so, have you heard the one about the new political party with THREE leaders...?
He hasn’t spoken to either of its co-leaders since his Te Tai Tokerau win, but is comfortable working with them...even though he’s slagged them publically as out-of-touch ineffective geriatrics: “We need to look to build bridges rather than set up walls…we need to focus on what's important for maori and the nation, and if we start there then we're on the right track.”
The hand of Mana Party president and veteran political campaigner Matt McCarten is very evident, getting The Bro to tone down and grow up (and also amazingly getting his rabid mother to SHUT up!). Matt McCarten has advised HH to 'stay close to the people', saying Mana isn’t purely about maori interests, but wants to be (this should read: 'spinning' itself as) the voice of the working class, the poor and beneficiaries.
However, even the Matt-man can’t switch off Hone’s ego: he still says that while he hopes to work with the Maori Party he needs to be able to work as a leader: “I'm comfortable with the changes that are necessary to lead a movement as important (!!!) as Mana into discussions with the Maori Party and then with the Greens, and then to look towards discussions with Labour as well.”
But Hone seems to have missed a fundamental: no one actually wants to work with him! Labour and National have both ruled out a coalition with Mana, while Hone-bro and the Maori Party still ain’t talkin’
And speaking of not speaking, Mana has blacklisted Auckland radio station Newstalk ZB after The Bro was miffed by tongue-in-cheek comments from its political editor, Barry Soper, who referred to Hone as Titiwhai Harawira's "boy". He also objected to references about the half million dollar cost of the by-election, even though most folk have called it a total waste of money.
Hone starts off as he’s likely to continue: on the wrong side of the electric fence. Let’s keep that voltage pumping!

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