Hone Harawira

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Parl.	Electorate	List Pos.	Party
48th	Te Tai Tokerau	n/a	Māori Party

Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira is a New Zealand politician. He was elected to Parliament for the Māori Electorate of Te Tai Tokerau in the 2005 general elections as the Māori Party candidate.

Harawira is a veteran activist and protestor, having participated in a large number of demonstrations supporting what he sees as Māori rights. His first major role came in the protests surrounding the 1981 Springbok Tour, and he has since become highly involved in the Māori protest movement. Often, he worked alongside his mother, Titewhai Harawira, another well-known activist.

Harawira had a reputation for aggressive behaviour and violence, and appeared in court numerous times — in 1981, he was convicted of assault, although the sentence was suspended because Harawira had been provoked by racist comments. Harawira says that he is no longer as rash as he once was, telling a newspaper that he is "comfortable trying to work towards a positive future rather than simply knocking things down. When I was younger, knocking things down was pretty much everything." Accusations of bullying still occasionally surface, however.

He has previously stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Mana Māori Movement.

He has confirmed his unconventional style by proposing a bill to make the sale of cigarettes illegal, and comments that he hitchhikes around his electorate to keep in touch with his constituents, despite being eligible for free transport as an Member of Parliament

Hone Harawira's daughter Anikaaro Harawira and her boyfriend Stuart Harrison have been charged with arson and aggravated robbery relating to an incident on January 19, 2007. Police allege they took the car of someone they knew and set fire to it. They are currently on bail and will appear in Kaitaia District Court on February 28, 2007. The pair could face a maximum of 14 years' jail if convicted. [1]