Hone Harawira

Wellington, Nov 10 NZPA - Maori Party MP Hone Harawira will front up to the media this afternoon over his expletive-ridden racist email.

However whether he will apologise for it remains to be seen.

The remarks were made in an email to former Waitangi Tribunal director Buddy Mikaere after being questioned for skipping off to Paris with his wife while on a parliamentary trip to Europe.

Mr Harawira has called the press conference for 3pm today and is expected to speak publicly on his emailed comments, which included referring to "white motherf...ers".

Mr Harawira was part of a parliamentary delegation visiting Europe when he decided to leave Brussels and take his wife to Paris for the day.

He was unrepentant about that, saying he paid for the trip himself, but he reportedly misled Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia over it.

Subsequently, Mr Mikaere sent Mr Harawira an email questioning the Paris trip.

In response, Mr Harawira sent an email saying: "Gee Buddy, do you believe that white man's bullshit too? White motherf...ers have been raping our lands and ripping us off for centuries and all of a sudden you want me to play along with their puritanical bullshit."

Labour leader Phil Goff told Radio New Zealand Mr Harawira needed to apologise for his actions in leaving the work trip for the Paris jaunt.

"But I think it went a step further when he sought to justify himself by bringing race into the situation...labelling white people as a whole in the most offensive language you can imagine is straight racist."

Prime Minister John Key yesterday said Mr Harawira should apologise for his response to Mr Mikaere's email.

"I definitely think he owes a bit of an apology," Mr Key said.

"It's for the Maori Party leadership to sort that out, and I have got to say they are doing their best to try and deal with that situation."

Maori Party leaders decided on Sunday he wouldn't be expelled from the party but they appeared to at least expect a public apology.

"I think he will find a way to apologise to the nation," party president Whatarangi Winiata said.

However, party co-leader Pita Sharples said yesterday he wouldn't order an apology.

"An apology is something from the heart and the mind and I'm not going to tell someone they have to apologise," he said.

"I can say it's my wish that they would but you can't order someone to apologise."

Mr Mikaere previously told NZPA that Mr Harawira was not fit to be an MP and should resign. He was dubious that Mr Harawira would apologise.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres has called for an apology, and suggested Mr Harawira deliver that in Parliament.

The commission has received more than 200 complaints.

Mr de Bres said the comments were unhelpful but did not breach the Human Rights Act.