After my two posts (long version, short version) looking into the practical implications of the Ter Tai Tokerau by-election, I thought I check with the Electoral Commission to see whether Mana had been registered as a political party.
At a 4:38 this afternoon, I spoke to someone at the Electoral Commission who confirmed that a final decision had not been made and the matter was still in train.
And at 4:41, as I was preparing to write this, I got emailed a media advisory from the Electoral Commission that they had been registered, sent, I am told, as soon as the decision was made. That's timing.
Anyway, the matter is now abundantly clear. If Hone Harawira wins the Te Tai Tokerau by-election, he will be entitled to be recognised as the Leader of Mana in Parliament, and will be entitled to be paid and funded on that basis.
Will Hone win? Who knows? Every prediction I have seen in the media or on blogs, or on facebook for that matter has been wishful thinking. If the predictor was a Hone/Mana supporter, they predicted Hone would win. If a Hone/Mana opponent, they predicted Kelvin would win.
I haven't a clue. But we don't have long to wait.