New Left trigger points

Harawira heads to mediation meeting

The party has hired high profile lawyer Mai Chen to advise it on how to handle the dispute with Harawira. His expulsion from the party is one option.

That is fuelling speculation of Harawira leading a new left wing party. Former Green MP Sue Bradford is being touted as a co-leader and she has confirmed she is open to the idea.

So what would trigger a New Left Party? There would in my mind be three trigger points, the first is the Maori Party going for broke and deciding to expel Hone for telling the truth due to pressure from National as National eye up the MMP math post 2011 minus any ACT party representation, or a vastly diminished ACT Party representation. In such a depleted ACT Party reality, National would need the Maori Party, something they can't concede with Hone in the party.

Only once Hone had been expelled would the possibility for a New Left Party open, and only if Hone believed the best way to fight an anti-worker, anti-benneficary, anti-environmental Party was in a new Party as opposed to remaining an independent.

As an Independent he would be one vote. As a new Party he could create 3-4 votes.

The second trigger point will be the release this month of the ideologically stacked Welfare Razor Gangs deep cuts to benefits. Once the severity of the coming austerity plans against beneficiaries are made public, the welfare and minimum wage electorate will dictate the need for a New Left Party with their concerns primary in any future Government.

The third trigger point would be a public meeting where Sue, Matt and Hone spoke.