Carter to Cooks
February 13th, 2011 at 8:54 am by David FarrarStuff reports:
A senior National MP has been confirmed as the next High Commissioner to the Cook Islands.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced today Civil Defence Minister John Carter would take up the post in August.
This will leave his Northland seat vacant but the Government can avoid a by-election if the seat becomes vacant within six months of the election date.
75% of Parliament has to agree, but I am sure they will.
John Carter had massive popularity in Northland. It is one of the poorest areas of New Zealand, but he has always had huge majorities. The reason is because he is probably the hardest working constituent MP of this generation.
I recall one giving John a lift up to Palmie. He spent the entire time on his cellphone calling back constituents to give them updates on the issues they had raised with him.
If John brings the same vigour to his job as High Commissioner to the Cooks, I suspect he will be just as popular over there as he is in Northland.
Related posts:
- John Carter announces retirement
- Goff’s Carter problem
- Carter only nomination for Te Atatu
- Carter AWOL
February 13th, 2011 at 9:03 am
More jobs for the boys…
The Nat’s are no better than Labour when it comes to this sort of thing, it seems that once you have been admitted to the parliamentary ‘club’ your fellow members will make sure you keep your nose in the public trough for the rest of your life irrespective of what ‘team’ you played for.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 9:04 am
Bugger – I was available for that.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 9:12 am
So what will he spend our money on up there?
Vote:Its a bunch of atolls that produce thousands of migrants for NZ to educate, provide health services for and for people here to send the money to the churches there. We provide their offspring with unemployment benefits and it just goes on.
We need to set them adrift for they offer us zilch in return.
February 13th, 2011 at 9:13 am
He has been missing in action since the election. The Oakleys were the workers and we all new within weeks of National gaining power that he was off to the Cooks. Good riddance
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 9:20 am
So what business interests does he have up there? eh
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 9:27 am
How cool would it be if “Fred Smith and his wife Shelia Smith”, both long time community workers and tireless servants to the public (unpaid and unrewarded other than the reward of satisfaction) were to receive a phone call from the PM one night just as they were sitting down to their dinner of sausages and mashed spud.
“Mr Smith, this is John Key”
‘Piss off, who is this?”
“It is John Key, the Prime Minister”
“Oh..sorry about that Mr Key, I thought it was one of my mates taking the micky”
“No worries Fred, and by the way, please call me John, anyway, the reason for my call is that I would like to offer you and your good lady the position of High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, it is a relatively easy job and we have plenty of staff their to advise you”
“Why on earth would you offer us the job Mr Key?, I am not qualified for that job”
“(Laughing) Well Fred, you and Mrs Smith have worked tirelessly in the community for over thirty years, you have asked for nothing in return and you have always done your good work without publicity, I think it is about time that we rewarded a few salt of the earth Kiwis with positions like this instead of giving them to ex politicians who have been on the public payroll for years and years, you are just as well qualified as some of the ex politicians we have appointed in the past, and anyway, the Cook islands gig is a breeze, as I said, there are plenty of officials there to guide you, I think this is the least that our country can do for people like you and Mrs Smith”
Even if I say so myself that is a bloody great idea!
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 10:08 am
Owen Glen was also available for this post and would have rendered equally valuable service…If the Government was serious about reducing wasteful expenditure then this slushy sinecure would be first to go after the families commission.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 10:43 am
Will he do it for his pension or does that come on top?
Plenty of unemployed out there who have the necessary without having to top up another pension.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Jobs for the boys, what else? Labour and Labour-lite are very adept at playing the game.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Cook Islanders don’t even have to come to NZ to receive paid health services. Our money already pays for much of their hospital and healthcare.
We hang onto the Cooks and continue to support other Pacific Islands because they are a great place for aging politicians to retire.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
All of the above is a bit unfair. I know someone who is a cock relation of John Carters and who rates him as the hardest worker he has ever met and a bloody good bloke to boot.
I doubt anyone could have sustained his position as (white) electorate MP in the north if you were not held in high esteem.
Good on him. He certainly deserves his post in the Cook’s more than someone at the UN deserves hers.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
More jobs for the boys.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
“So what will he spend our money on up there?
Its a bunch of atolls that produce thousands of migrants for NZ to educate, provide health services for and for people here to send the money to the churches there. We provide their offspring with unemployment benefits and it just goes on.
We need to set them adrift for they offer us zilch in return.”
What a nasty, mean spirited and cruel attitude to human civilisation. Thank god we don’t have too many people like you on this planet. This sort of talk in my books is the lowest of the low.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Red Sam; you are welcome to fund them from your own vast amount of funds. But I’ll bet you are a broken arsed broke leftie who spends other peoples money.
That’s why NZ is bordering on broke. People like you get sucked in for every cause known to man.
Turn the tit off and force them to be self sufficient just like the Govt. is about to do to lots of born and bred Kiwi’s.
P.S. I was employing Tongans way back in the sixties. Good workers then. One came here to earn the money to have a hip replacement. Worked his heart out for six months, never told anyone till he finished his allowed permit time and never complained once even though he was doing a job that must have hurt like hell.
That’s personal responsibility of the best kind. And I still have the huge Tapa cloths that his family made for me.
But then I doubt you even know about personal responsibility do you.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
What civilisation?
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
His appointment is like National committing Hari-Kiri. He is far too valuable in NZ because of his outstanding organisational skills he showed as a MP. If only he could be employed as a roving ambassador to help National party electorate organisations with knowledge and skills for running top notch campaigns. However he probably needs a well earned break from that type of work. All the best for his future.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
John “Hone” Carter obviously doesn’t realise the Cooks are full of those bludging Marris he so clearly despises. Poor fellow, he’s in for a shock when he gets there then.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
Au contraire Rex. Most of his constituents were the self same persons you describe.
I’m sure John is very familiar with people like that. I suspect he doesn’t despise Murris at all just the ones who constantly whine for more than their fair share.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Johnboy:
Wouldn’t most Maori in the north be on the Maori roll? And thus be more likely to be voting for the actual Hone and not the pretend one?
I quite like John (after all, I once let him use my duty free booze quota at the airport
) but he did himself no favours with that particular lark.
Vote:February 13th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
No idea Rex. Try here:
http://www.elections.org.nz/ages/electorate_34_northland.html
However I think you would find that Cook Islanders are a different kettle of Murri to Hone’s troops so I feel John will get on quite well.
Especially if he holds a drinks party now and again.
Vote:February 14th, 2011 at 1:22 am
Red Sam – a lefty saying `thank god’ haven’t you got with the left wing secular programme yet?
Vote:February 14th, 2011 at 7:20 am
Another feeble, almost laughable “explanation” for his accepting of the sinecure.
Carter long time in ‘training’ for islands diplomatic post
Northland MP John Carter is heading for the Cook Islands to become a diplomat – a job he has been “training” for since 1975 when he first visited the islands on a rugby trip.
Mr Carter said yesterday that trip – before he became an MP – and subsequent holidays set him up with ongoing connections with several Cook Islands politicians.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10706018
Vote:February 14th, 2011 at 8:39 am
Winz in CHCH are funding the charities of an American overstayer..the charities look more like businesses..Why are they funding charities? Why are they enabling an overstayer? He currently has applications in to the Min of Health and other govt agencies. The min of health have slashed services to the elderly in Canterbury yet this con has his hand out. Staff of the various charities have been sacked and are taking grievance cases against him. He has some fanciful tale about CIA agents back home. This is the basis of him fighting deportation. Meanwhile his third and current wife is supposed to be a wealthy heiress with her own income.
Vote:February 14th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
The “Northland” electorate isn’t actually that poor – most of the poor people are on the Maori roll in “Te Tai Tokerau” represented by the other Hone.
Northland, East Coast and Rotorua would all probably be safe Labour seats if the Maori roll was abolished.
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