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Chris Carter is taking two months' stress leave - Source: ONE News -
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Disgraced Labour MP Chris Carter has defended his unsanctioned trip to Tibet after claims of a link to his spectacular downfall yesterday.
Carter was thrown out of the Labour caucus on a unanimous vote after an abortive attempt to undermine leader Phil Goff failed yesterday. On August 7 the party council will almost certainly expel him.
There have been suggestions this morning that Carter's trip to Tibet during the last parliamentary recess was behind his sending an anonymous letter to media claiming a leadership challenge against Goff.
He had not followed the rules around international travel, failing to tell the party whip he would be away, or to get support from caucus.
"That's two weeks we would have relied on him being here," Goff said today. Goff found out Carter had left the country only after the fact.
However, Carter claimed late this morning that the trip was only six days and was 100% funded by the Chinese government.
"I was there at the invitation of the Chinese government, there was no cost to the New Zealand taxpayer," he told ONE News.
"It was during the recess, it was just for six days, and I was delighted to go."
Carter admitted he did not seek party permission to go.
"Relations between the leadership team and I have cooled considerably over the last two months. I felt that as there was no cost involved ... I simply went."
The trip was organised before Carter was stripped of his Foreign Affairs portfolio.
"I asked the Chinese whether they still wanted me to go - they did."
"Irrational" behaviour
Senior Labour MP Trevor Mallard said Carter went without permission from the Labour Party or Goff and had exhibited some "pretty unusual" and "pretty irrational" behaviour lately.
The latest quarterly amounts for MPs' travel released yesterday were probably a trigger for his behaviour, Mallard said.
Expenses for Carter's Tibet trip were likely to show up in the next round of expenses in three months' time.
Mallard said personally he was worried about Carter.
"He's always been a bit eccentric, I think we all know that."
Carter has said he will remain an independent MP until the next election as MP for Te Atatu. He said he would not stand in the next election.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentGPR said on 2010-08-01 @ 13:26 NZDT: Report abusive post
oops. I think her name was Sue Bradford - still she's gone and thats what is important
thinkaboutit said on 2010-07-31 @ 17:59 NZDT: Report abusive post
Brilliant! "The Tribe Has Spoken" in the game of "Survival NZ"- the truth hurts - Carter has been ousted for being a real threat by a Labour Party full of "Yes Men" and gutless sheep! Carter was more spot on than he thought though- this is hardly a Party for the future - time for a real radical change! Carter needs to keep up his radical thinking if he is genuinely concerned about this country - like supporting a real threat to National like Winston Peters win his electorate!
thinkaboutit said on 2010-07-31 @ 10:30 NZDT: Report abusive post
After 50 odd years of observing (and being on the receiving end) of NZ dysfunctional politics and witnessing this country degenerate from "Gods Own" to a third world look alike Ive come to the conclusion that there is only one potential leader with the mana, experience and genuine and balanced concern for this country and its people and its way of life that has any chance of salvaging what we once all enjoyed - its time to make your move Winston!
santa0007 said on 2010-07-31 @ 08:56 NZDT: Report abusive post
T e Atatu....Peninsula,soory about title. Well placed now to make a stand for themselves,backing Carter says "we are here", he is the olny person to dedicate himself to his clients,he speaks the truth. Labour as a party has done nothing for us on the dole 7 nothing for us farmers & nothing for the poor.
scottynz said on 2010-07-30 @ 14:44 NZDT: Report abusive post
Chris Carter has one thing right. Goff has no chance in the next election. He has less charisma than Gordon Brown or Bill English. Might be a nice guy or competent, but he has less hope than an ice ball in hades.