Carter expelled
October 12th, 2010 at 7:13 am by David FarrarThe Labour Party NZ Council has expelled Chris Carter as a member. I am surprised as I thought some pressure had gone on to just suspend him for a couple of years. I guess his recent comments ruled that out as a compromise option.
Derek Cheng at the Herald reports:
Party president Andrew Little said Mr Carter’s actions on July 29, when he sent anonymous letters to journalists in Parliament’s Press Gallery undermining leader Phil Goff, were likely to foment internal discontent and encourage external ridicule.
“They were deceptive, they were clearly calculated to cause damage to the caucus and foment discontent and disharmony in the caucus and cause damage to the party’s reputation,” Mr Little said.
“At no time has there been an acceptance of the gravity of [the actions] or a display of contrition.”
The lack of contrition I suspect was a key factor. Recall Carter gleefully going on TV and repeating his key message time after time after time – that Labour can not win under Phil Goff.
Mr Little said: “Had the author of his letter to the gallery not been revealed, it would have caused considerable harm to that caucus and the way it operates, and there’s no question that the publicity in the days that followed caused damage to the party.”
He said that in other leadership challenges, there had been direct contact with the leader, not a “furtive, sneaky letter”.
And that is a key difference. Richard Prebble called David Lange unbalanced to his face – he did not write anonymous letters to the media about him.
This is a victory for Phil Goff. Now Carter is truly an Independent MP, his comments and doings are of far less media value.
Related posts:
- Carter defiant and calls for a new leader
- 10 thoughts on the Chris Carter affair
- Carter sacked for Goff coup letter
- Goff’s Carter problem
October 12th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Through the back door according to the journo’s who waited at the front. Not very bright journo’s who couldn’t see that coming. Ha
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:16 am
nice work Labour.
Vote:just pick up the policies of Aus Labor and you will start doing better in the polls.
October 12th, 2010 at 7:22 am
“This is a victory for Phil Goff. Now Carter is truly an Independent MP, his comments and doings are of far less media value.
I think they should have suspended him for a year. Not sure I agree with you DPF. . Chris Carter will now use the next year or so to leak juicy titbits to the media in order to promote his book – this ain’t going away, he’s g nothing to lose now. . . . . . .
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:23 am
And Prebble kept his comments to Lange rather than the whole organisation – Carter saying it was broke. No more luxury travel for Chris and his partner. Just the humble old Waiheke ferry using the gold card.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:31 am
Nothing has changed in the period since Chris Carter’s “anonymous” note was circulated. He hobbles around, nursing a bleeding foot, holding a smoking pistol and complaining that no one told him it was loaded.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:33 am
At least Labour can point to a track record of one good decision now.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:35 am
Depends on what values, the media don’t seem to value serious politics and newsworthiness as much as they value scandal, controversy and ratings – WP should be a non-event but they manage to flock to every huff and puff of his, and imagine a few for themselves.
I hope Carter will fade into obscurity but I don’t know if he can let go of the limelight. When the heat is on he’s a back door man, but he isn’t shy of seeking attention when it suits him.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:36 am
Oh no Rainbow Liarbour has lost Tim now Wris, poor sods. Oh well, at least they used up the pot of gold while on their taxpayer-funded crusade for homosexual rights.Thinking of these type of men makes me psychically sick.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:38 am
The next huff and puff will be over the book he says he will write
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:42 am
As an independent MP can he now travel where and when he likes?
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:47 am
They picked on him because he is gay.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Chris Carter has just described Phil Goff as “petty, vindictive and spiteful.” Hearing that from Chris would be like being called “ugly” by a bullfrog.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:53 am
What do the Labour Party and the Philosophy Department of the University of Wooloomaloo have in common?
Rule # 1. “NO POOFTERS!”
(eh Bruce?)
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:54 am
And yet you seem do an awful lot of thinking about them.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:58 am
As far as his future goes, has Chris Carter ever considered having a go at acting? They could make a Kiwi version of the TV show “Everybody Hates Chris.”
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 7:59 am
And disappointed.
Vote:You would have had a field day if they had only suspended him.
October 12th, 2010 at 8:02 am
Well chris says Helen hasgiven instructionson the book so when willthe ticketto New York arrive?
Good ridance to bad rubbish.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 8:15 am
Well this is clear evidence that the labour party has been taken over by homophobes.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 8:23 am
Correct me if I’m wrong, but is this the first expulsion since John A Lee?
(His crime was similar of course – and it didn’t help that Savage was gravely ill at the time)
[DPF: Oh Lee did far worse. Mind you carter's book may end up matching Lee's. Lee had a lot of support from within Labour - Carter does not outside his electorate]
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 8:31 am
BlairM – It’s the first expulsion of an MP since John A Lee. Michael Joseph Savage died 48 hours after Lee’s expulsion. Phil Goff will be very nervous around midnight on Wednesday
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Carter has just been on NatRad claiming he has tried to resolve things over the last three months (by keeping on repeating what he’d originally said!!), and that he thought Labour was acting in a petty and vindictive manner. He seems to be using the Redbaiter playbook, look in the mirror and accuse opponents of what you see. He seems to be obsessed with a get Goff mentality, with no other plan in sight.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 9:01 am
So now he can write his book, one txt message at a time.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Pete George
That is the socialist playbook and Labour have always used it.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 9:02 am
What this tells us is that no matter how ineffectual and useless Goff might be, he is still a great deal better (capable) than Chris Carter.
That says a lot about Carter
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Has Carter applied to join the Anderton Party yet?
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 9:41 am
NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH
Vote:matt McCarten, John Minto and the Unite union et al have announced that they will protesting the unfair dismissal of Chris Carter at this weekends conference
October 12th, 2010 at 9:43 am
Carter should have got Slater to run this for him. The world has changed.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 9:46 am
“That is the socialist playbook and Labour have always used it.” – the left have no monopoly on sociopathy.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Aw, that’s such a shame.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 10:08 am
John Gibson
The left do however have a monopoly on being so stupid as to think that ignoring the fact that socialism always ends in recession will make it an economically viable option long term.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 10:12 am
jaba
I can picture it…. they will all stand around reading out txt messages from NY.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 10:15 am
This decision was the inevitable outcome of a pathetic end to Carters political career. Some people can read the wrtining on the wall and try and exit with some dignity intact but carter has behaved like a schoolboy and Labour were left with no choice if they were to control the damage to the party.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Chris Carter should start a blog. His strap line can be “Fomenting internal discontent since 2010″.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Andrew Litttle has said that at last night’s meeting, Chris Carter threatened to dish the dirt on his colleagues if he was expelled. Is Chris going to adopt the motto “Look ma, no brains”?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4220338/Chris-Carter-expelled-from-Labour
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Mr Carter said his expulsion was an overreaction and the party leadership has been petty and childish, and that he would tell on everyone if he wasn’t allowed to keep playing with their toys.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Carter’s gone feral; he’s reported to have threatened to unearth bodies and open cupboards at the hearing last night. I wouldn’t have thought that he was in any position to make ultimatums, but there you go! So put up or shut up Chris!!
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2010/10/cmon-chris-tell-us.html
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Anyone care to wager that in the coming months Carter will be crawling to Helen Clark trying to get her to appoint him to some cushy well-paying UN international-aid job that involves lots of air travel and no responsibility?
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Carter should do a reveal all book as soon as possible. Leaking a few good stories to the media would also be a good plan. It’s time some sunlight made it through Auntie’s apron strings and we all got to have a good laugh at how feeble and self serving the Labour party really is.
Vote:October 12th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Maybe if it was a comprehensive revelation burt, but that’s not likely to happen. The proposed opening chapter titles are:
1. Poor Me, I was picked on because I’m gay
Vote:2. Poor Me, I was picked on because I traveled for free
3. Poor Me, my travel has now been unfairly restricted
4. Poor Me, I wasn’t supported by the leadership when my travel expenses were made public
5. Poor Me, I was stressed so being a knucklehead wasn’t my fault
6. Poor Me, I think Goff is being petty
October 12th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Who has got the most sleltons in and out of the closet?
Vote:Clark, Anderton,Dyson,King, who?
Going to be fun book.
October 12th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
DPF.Lee not only had a lot of support in the Party but also a lot from the supporters at large.
Vote: