Harawera - "Labour's finished"

SUNDAY STAR TIMES/STUFF.CO.NZ: Fresh signs have emerged that Labour's prospects of forming a new government after the coming election are narrowing, with a blunt attack from a crucial coalition player.

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira told the Star-Times that the Labour-led government was "stale" and arrogant and it was time for a change of government.

"They're suffering from the arrogance of being in power too long. At the moment they're a coalition corpse. They're gone, and anybody who is associated too closely with them is likely to be gone as well."

National leader John Key last week ruled out working with NZ First leader Winston Peters in any National-led government, a move that places the Maori Party centre stage as the largest minor party that can negotiate with either Labour or National.

"Clearly we're not going to be the party that wins the most votes, but we are hoping to be the players after the election, and we are doing all that we can to take the seven [Maori] seats and put ourselves in a position where we will not be the last cab off the rank, but be the first limousine," said Harawira.

The comments are a reference to Labour leader Helen Clark's remarks before the 2005 election, when she said the Maori Party would be the "last cab off the rank" for Labour as a potential support or coalition party.

However Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said the Maori Party as a whole had no view on whether there should be a change of government, and that was for voters to decide.