Only 11.5% of Maori support Harawiri new party move

Some 11.5% of Maori support Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira seeking re-election as a member of a new Maori or left wing party.

This according to a nationwide poll of 1,047 Maori since Tuesday by the new specialist Horizon Research Maori Panel.

The poll finds he would enjoy more than twice as much support (28%) if he simply sought re-election as an independent candidate.

18.2% would rather he not seek re-election at all.

Some 23.1% of Maori want Mr Harawira to vote independently on each issue in Parliament if he is re-elected in November.

Some 10.6% want him to generally support a Labour led Government in Parliament, 2.6% a National led one.

Conducted between 10.30am Tuesday and 5.30pm Thursday (March 7-11, 2011) the survey is weighted to represent the Maori population at the 2006 census and has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3%