Hone Harawira - Mana leader

1:28 pm on 8 August 2014

Hone Harawira (Ngati Hau, Ngati Wai, Ngati Hine, Aupouri, Ngapuhi, Ngati Whatua) entered Parliament in 2005 after a lifetime of political activism, mainly promoting Maori rights.

Mr Harawira was one of the founding members of the Maori Party and won Te Tai Tokerau for the party at the first election it contested. He has held the seat ever since.

But Mr Harawira's involvement with the Maori Party was not without controversy, particularly as the MP became more outspoken in opposition to the party's support for the National-led Government.

While he first supported the Maori Party entering into a support agreement in 2008 Mr Harawira soon became disillusioned.

Finally, after growing bitterness between him and his fellow Maori Party MPs, he quit the party in February 2011 and then founded the Mana Movement in May that year.

Mr Harawira retained his Te Tai Tokerau seat in the 2011 election.

This year his party has done a deal with the Internet Party to campaign jointly for the party vote. Under the agreement Internet-Mana will likely get one or two more MPs elected of its party list, as long as Mr Harawira again wins his seat.

Mana leader Hone Harawira.

Hone Harawira, Mana leader. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski

The deal has been criticised by Mr Harawira's political opponents and prominent Mana member Sue Bradford quit the party in protest.

But Mr Harawira has defended the deal, saying Mana and the Internet Party are simply doing what parties of the Right have done for years.

Election 2014