Carter now votes with the Greens
February 21st, 2011 at 5:37 pm by David FarrarNZ Herald reports:
Te Atatu MP Chris Carter, who was expelled from the Labour Party last year, has struck a deal with the Greens that will see them cast his proxy vote when he is not at Parliament.
Mr Carter, who was expelled after criticising leader Phil Goff said he still considered himself a Labour MP “in values and philosophy” and would have preferred to cast his vote with his former party, ” but this has proved impossible”.
Following his expulsion from Labour, Mr Carter said he had notified the party’s whips of his wish to keeping cast his vote with them but had receive no response and his vote had been irregularly cast.
“I realised that I had to seek some way for constituents to have a voice recorded in Parliament.”
Maybe Chris will also stand for the Greens in Te Atatu? 
February 21st, 2011 at 5:50 pm
brilliant
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 5:58 pm
I do get the “Fomenting Happy Mischief ” bit DPF, and you are good at it.
For the record, this is simply an arrangement to ensure Chris Carter’s vote is recorded if he is absent from Parliament on other business (or ill, or even on an overseas trip), so the electors of Te Atatu are represented. We did the same with Tariana Turia when she left Labour.
There is nothing more to it. Chris Carter is not going to be a Green candidate and is not joining the Greens. When Minister of Conservation he did some things the Greens were very upset with, and his excessive air travel is about as far from Green principles as you can get.
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:03 pm
“I realised that I had to seek some way for constituents to have a voice recorded in Parliament, so I can spend as much time as I like travelling and at the beach”
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:03 pm
frog,
Nonsense. If it were as simple as that he would have given his proxy to Labour – if he truly did consider himself a Labour MP in “values and philosophy” as he claims.
Do the Greens not mind being used in Carter’s little contretemps with Labour? It will really help you to secure a favourable position in a Left coalition with Labour won’t it? Or perhaps you accept that that prospect is years away.
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:20 pm
David,
Vote:As Peter Dunne gives his proxy to National will be standing for the Nats next election?
February 21st, 2011 at 6:20 pm
What a melting pot has the Green Party become. Luddites, Communists, Maori activists, rabid feminists, animal rights nutters, a few people who genuinely want to save the planet & now a repository for a gay trougher’s proxy vote.
Nearly all things to all people.
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Frog
“When Minister of Conservation he did some things the Greens were very upset with, and his excessive air travel is about as far from Green principles as you can get.”
But ripping off the housing allowance is a perfectly acceptable Green principle aye Frog.
Seriously Frog, who are you trying to kid with the bullshit about the Greens having principles?,
The Greens did not have those same principles when you rorted the electoral system to get Red Russel into the house prior to the last election did you?, you did not have those same principles when you supported the EFA and the silencing of free speech and you sure as hell did not have any principles when you supported the totally unreasonable persecution of the Exclusive Brethren.
You might want to try and peddle your bullshit somewhere else Frog, the Greens are no better than any other party in the house, indeed, based on the size of your party you may well be the worst,l certainly you are the biggest hypocrites and most blatant liars.
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Frog said:
Oh that’s very funny. The Green Party has the worst record on travel expenses of any party in parliament, per MP. They fly all over the country, on the taxpayer, espousing their incoherent rubbish.
Pull the other one!
And if you want an example of their incoherent rambling, check this out:
http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/7441
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Interesting that this is announced within a week of no vote being recorded for Chris Carter in the motion following the debate on the Prime Minister’s Statement. What are the rules for an independent MP giving a proxy vote? Can it be done from overseas?
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:23 pm
I think that the Greens are hoping that Carter will bring the Carter Seventeen with him, and that the Greens can become the leading Opposition party after the election …
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:45 pm
youre all only talking about carter..’cos he’s gay..
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Double-checked the standing orders.
It says at 151(4)
In the case of a party vote, a proxy may be exercised for a party consisting of one member and for any Independent member only if the member concerned is—
(a) present within the parliamentary precincts, or
(b) absent from the parliamentary precincts attending a meeting of a select committee held outside the Wellington area with the agreement of the House or the Business Committee, or
(c) absent from the parliamentary precincts attending other official business approved by the Business Committee, or
(d) absent from the parliamentary precincts with the permission of the Speaker granted—
(i) for illness or other family cause of a personal nature, or
(ii) to enable the member to attend to other public business (whether in New Zealand or overseas).
The definition doesn’t appear to include holidays in Sri Lanka or Waiheke Island.
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Rodders
You are only picking on him cause he’s gay !
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Hey, enviros, greens, climate hawks—we all need to stand up for Planned Parenthood
Vote:http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-19-enviros-climate-hawks-need-to-stand-up-for-planned-parenthood
February 21st, 2011 at 7:31 pm
Now that he’s a green and they like “sustainable” energy ,the line from that ole sea song, The Good Ship Venus seems appropriate…..
When the wind stop blowing
And the ship stopped going
Carter the farter would start ‘er.
I’ll get me coat.
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 8:20 pm
What was it that stopped him giving his vote to Labour … this man of principle who would have preferred to cast his vote with Labour?
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 8:48 pm
I wonder which of the following is true:
Vote:1. Labour are too incompetent to exercise his vote, despite his having given it to them
2. Labour decided not to exercise his vote, no longer wanting to be associated with him
3. Labour read the rules, and decided to only exercise his vote in accordance with the rules (per Rodders @6:48pm), the Greens are less fussy
4. Carter is making this up, and giving his vote to the Greens just to keep in the media and turn the knife a bit more in the Labour corpse
February 21st, 2011 at 9:03 pm
to enable the member to attend to other public business (whether in New Zealand or overseas).
You’d think the amount of “public business” MPs attend to overseas, we’d have a much more efficient system than we actually in fact have wouldn’t you.
2. Labour decided not to exercise his vote, no longer wanting to be associated with him
Sounds like Liarbore Paul. Prissy, sensitive creatures.
Vote:February 21st, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Not surprised to see Frogboy doing damage control here – as if that beleaguered lot doesn’t have enough nutcases in its parliamentary caucus.
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 1:04 am
No-one with Catherine Delahunty in their caucus has a right to be picky about anybody!
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 2:17 am
Frog is a funny fellow. You say the Greens don’t fly as much as Chris but yet your caucus is guilty of doing just that. Not to mention you lot tell us to use trains, only for you to not take your own advice.
I think Chris is a great fit for the Green Party,
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 8:05 am
Maybe Carter should join up with Hawariwa, Bradford, Peters and Locke to form the Bloody Loonie Party.
None of them have made a positive contribution beyond entertainment value so they’d go well together.
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 9:21 am
Maybe he should just like show up in Parliament and vote? It’s not like his electorate responsibilities cant be dealt with.
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 9:26 am
I thought that too KiwiGreg. He shouldn’t have too many other commitments as an MP. He said:
“I realised that I had to seek some way for constituents to have a voice recorded in Parliament.”
If he is there his voice, representing his constituents, will be recorded. If he is not there he has decided that something else is more important than representing his constituents.
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 9:27 am
What does Chris Carter do all day now he is an independent MP?
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 9:35 am
Hey Carter is ENTITLED to swan about the world on our dime and not bother to do the job we pay him for. Entitled you hear!
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 9:39 am
To be expected: another colourful pansy in the Green garden.
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 9:41 am
Odd though. You don’t useully get pansies amongst watermellons.
Vote:February 22nd, 2011 at 4:40 pm
One has to feel a wee bit sorry for Chris. Years and years of sojourning around on the taxpayer dime, fulfilling his insatiable appetite for fresh meat are about to end.
Vote: