Hone attacks Labour for foreign help

The Herald reports:

Labour is shipping in foreign support for its election campaign with dozens of United States’ Democrats signalling an interesting in helping with the campaign.

Excellent. The more people who helped on Clinton’s campaign the better!

The move was uncovered by Te Tai Tokerau contender Hone Harawira, who says it’s “really dumb” of Labour to enlist foreign support “to tell Maori people how to vote”.

But it’s been seized on by Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis as an example of Harawira’s “desperate” attempts to win the seat. …

The Herald asked Harawira if the link up with Dotcom had provided any lessons when it comes to accepting help from foreigners.

He had a one-word response: “Don’t.”

Harawira said his community networks let him know the US support for Labour was on its way after a marae was sounded out to be used for accommodation.

“From what I understand it is to target voter areas where Labour is struggling to get attention.”

Harawira said that was likely to be the Maori vote and it showed “Andrew Little doesn’t think he’s got the Maori volunteer base to get the job done”.

“To bring Americans in seems weird, disconnected and surreal. To do what? Tell Maori how to vote?”

Davis – who wasn’t involved in arranging off-shore support and was unaware of it – said Harawira had hooked up with Dotcom last election in a deal which allowed access to the tycoon’s wealth to fund a joint campaign.

“If he’s going to get millions from a foreigner and he’s complaining about people coming to help, that’s just total hypocrisy.”

This reminds me of Dotcom’s Moment of Truth where a German, a Brit, an American and an Aussie spent a couple of hours lecturing NZers on how they must throw out the evil National Government.