of parliament, and members of the public. After a lengthy discussion process, the Māori Party decided that he would not face punishment. On Radio Waatea he apologised for the wording of his email but not for the sentiment of it. He also said in an apology "My words were true." Harawira later said that Labour Party leader Phil Goff was a "bastard" and "should be lined up against a wall and shot" for passing the Foreshore and Seabed Act. On 31 July 2010 Harawira told The New Zealand Herald he "wouldn't feel comfortable" if one of his children came home with a Pākehā partner, but he asked whether "all Pākehās would be happy with their daughters coming home with a Māori boy? The answer is they wouldn't." He was asked, since some of his whānau have dated Pacific Islanders and he didn't have an issue with it, "does that make him prejudiced?" He said "Probably, but how many people don't have prejudices?" Ngāpuhi activist David Rankin said Harawira was "playing the race card every time he wants to 'create a smoke screen for other issues'". Rankin is Harawira's cousin and claims seniority over the Harawira family in the Matarahurahu hapū. He noted that Harawira's grandfather was a Pākehā, saying "Harawira has a blind spot. His family even changed their name from Hatfield to Harawira because they are in denial about their racial identity." In contrast, Māori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said Harawira's comments probably reflected the views of many people and were not racist. Also in his New Zealand Herald interview, Harawira said, when asked "why not be an independent MP?" that "I came here because the Maori Party provided me, and us, with the opportunity to change the world and I recognise the value of that." Split with Māori Party On 16 January 2011 in an interview published in the Sunday Star-Times, Harawira was highly critical of the Māori Party's relationship with the National Party, in particular over the Foreshore and Seabed issue, saying "If we support this bill, we’re effectively saying that our coalition with National is more important than our commitment to Māori – surely not?" On 19 January 2011 the Māori Party received a complaint from one of its MPs, Te Ururoa Flavell, which was supported by all the party's other MPs, Rahui Katene, Pita Sharples, and Tariana Turia. A leak of the internal complaint document