Harawira farewelled at Parliament

Mana Movement leader Hone Harawira has been farewelled in a ceremony at Parliament with his supporters today.

Mr Harawira lost the Te Tai Tokerau seat to Labour's Kelvin Davis in the election on 20 September.

He told his supporters that Mana would continue to campaign for his Feed the Kids Bill - which seeks to introduce state-funded breakfast and lunch programmes into decile 1 and 2 schools.

Mr Harawira challenged the new Parliament to adopt his member's bill on the matter.

"A bill to provide what the people of New Zealand have called for - a comprehensive, Government-funded food in schools programme. It's ready to be passed at the first sitting of Parliament. If it did, I know it would gladden the hearts of all good Kiwis."

Mr Harawira said Mana was asking iwi around the country to open up their marae to house the homeless and called on Parliament to pass legislation to build more state houses.

Mana was not going gently into the night, he said, and it would continue its fight against the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and mass surveillance, and for the return of state assets.

With final election results due tomorrow, Mr Harawira is expected to say at the weekend whether he will stand again for Parliament.