You have to love Hone

Stuff reports:

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira has proposed a novel way to cut his travel costs – he will hitch-hike around his electorate.

Te Tai Tokerau MP Mr Harawira, who with travel expenses totaling $67,000 in the first six months of the year was one of Parliament’s more prolific travelers, said hitch-hiking was one way to cut costs but it carried a number of other benefits.

“It’s not a big deal, I’ve been doing it for the last three years,” he told Radio New Zealand.

He said that by travelling this way he would run into people that he would not otherwise meet and it allowed him to relax and “enjoy the day”.

“You get into a car and sooner or later they’ll start talking to you about the issues that are important to them.”

He said that Prime Minister John Key would have no problem travelling around Te Tai Tokerau in this way, though he said he wouldn’t have recommended Don Brash do the same when he was National Party leader.

Heh I’ve got visions of Hone and John hitchhiking their way up North together.

I don’t agree with everything Harawira does or say, but he is a breath of fresh air with his attitude.