Peter Kaiser

Chris Carter is a slow learner, in fact he has entitlitis so bad that it is now addling his brain. He has been caught trying to sup from the trough one last time before exiting.

Independent MP Chris Carter has had to cancel his Christmas holiday after 3 News learned he had been planning to have it paid by the taxpayer.

Mr Carter and his partner managed to book an international holiday using the MPs’ travel perk right before Parliament’s Speaker, Lockwood Smith, banned MPs from taking private travel with public money.

Chris Carter’s partner Peter Kaiser arrived at Parliament this morning to help tidy up a few loose ends but he didn’t want to talk about a Christmas trip the pair had planned.

Mr Carter and Mr Kaiser were booked to leave Auckland on December 29, flying business class via Singapore to Colombo and Sri Lanka.

The estimated cost of their flights is $13,902 – 90 percent picked up by the taxpayer.

The pair were planning on holidaying with British MP Ben Bradshaw and his partner but an hour after 3 News confronted Mr Kaiser, Mr Carter sent a text saying the trip was cancelled and he wasn’t going to front.

Like rust, Pedro Gower never sleeps. At this time of year most repeaters and churnalists are busy chugging wine but not Pedro. He has hunted down Carter mercilessly and put the shiv in just before Christmas saving the taxpayer nearly $14,000 in the process.

But here is the thing. Chris Carter, just this year, took a trip to the UK to “observe” the elections. And where did he “observe” the elections? Well in Exeter of course, and who is the MP for Exeter? Why, its Ben Bradshaw his proposed holiday mate.

What an amazing coincidence? This blogger doesn’t believe in coincidences. Could there be more to this story than meets the eye?

As for Carter….it’s all someone elses fault yet again.

Independent MP Chris Carter is blaming the media for ruining his summer holiday after the itinerary for his taxpayer-subsidised trip to Sri Lanka was leaked.

Labour leader Phil Goff says ousted MP Chris Carter doesn’t have a mandate to remain as MP for Te Atatu.

Mr Carter was thrown out of the Labour caucus yesterday on a unanimous vote after sending an unsigned letter to media representatives in an attempt to undermine Mr Goff’s leadership.

Spectacular….this is going to be a massive filip for National in the polls. People do not like nasty blood-letting.

As I said yesterday if I was Chris Carter I would resign and force the broke, busted, dis-united Labour Party try and fight me off.

Mr Goff told reporters in Auckland today Mr Carter should reconsider that.

“That decision constitutionally is his, but he was elected as a Labour MP and he no longer has that mandate. He needs to reflect on that,” Mr Goff said.

“I think that he does not have a mandate to be the Member of Parliament for Te Atatu, given the withdrawal of support from the Labour Party.”

This is important here for Goff, at the moment Chris Carter is still a Labour MP. They haven’t thrown him out of the party. Does Phil Goff have the stones to take that step. Until he does then all this talk is simple bluster as the two men stare each other down.

It also looks like Phil Twyford, the hapless Member for the homeless, has been spiked again.

When Labour’s national council meets in a week’s time it is almost certain to suspend Mr Carter’s party membership. A new Te Atatu candidate would then have to be selected for the next election.

Radio New Zealand‘s political staff say it seems likely the party will look outside its caucus for a candidate.

Mr Carter says he’ll stay as on as an independent MP until the next election, but will give his vote to Labour.

This is going to be the toughest part for Labour because the LEC chair is Peter Kaiser. If he stands firm then Labour will have a problem with selections. it is clear though that they intend to strip Chris Carter of his nomination for Te Atatu and to also find a replacement candidate meaning almost certainly he is about to be Taito’d, chucked ignominiously from the Labour party, for speaking the truth.

The most telling for Labour is their utter paranoia of the “Tizard Effect”. Their reticence to talk about a sitting MP taking the nomination shows just how deeply un-popular Judith Tizard is.

For me though I think the most appalling stance taken by Labour is to question Chris Carter’s mental health, and to question it openly. This shows just how caring and sharing the Labour party really is, they are busily trying to spin and knife Chris Carter by now labeling him as mental. Phil Goff doesn’t deserve to be leader if this is to be their strategy to side-line Chris Carter.

Labour is in a real pickle. It is clear from my discussions with some Labour caucus members that Carter is both right and wrong. Let me explain, Chris Carter is right in saying that no-one thinks that Labour can win the next election, with Phil goff or anyone else for that matter, he is wrong though that caucus thinks there is someone else who could do better, there simply isn’t. Not a single name has been proffered to me as a suggested replacement for Phil. The overall feeling seems to be that like him or loathe Phil Goff is the leader only in the absence of anyone else.

One thing about Helen Clark, she ruled caucus with an iron fist, Phil Goff has let this get away on him.

Either GABA or Chris Carter has got chicken. The auction of dinner at the Carters has been withdrawn from Trademe.

Dinner at the Carter's cancelled

At $200 we were in with a look for dinner with the Carters. If I was advising Chris Carter I’d get that auction back up pronto, it isn’t a good look to withdraw auctions because you might not like who your dinner guests are. I’m sure Cactus, Barnsley, The Manatee and I would have been great company, I mean repeaters and churnalists seem to like have a few drinks with us. Now it just looks petulant and churlish.

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Anyone want dinner with Chris Carter and Peter Kaiser? Apparently not many do because the auction has already met reserve at just $5.00.

As is usual for anything associated with Chris Carter everything is at your expense, except in this case he is providing the food and wine which is a pleasant change.

I wonder though if they accept taxpayer provided credit cards for payment?

Just so you know GABA is the Gay Auckland Business Association. This is from their website:

Since inception the Trust has issued grants totalling in excess of $100,000. Funding a broad range of organisations.

The principal objective of the Trust is to “maintain a fund available to individuals and institutions for the explicit purpose of health, welfare, and support services for the benefit of the gay community of New Zealand”.

While any project, activity or service that complies with the above objective can be considered, priority will be given to those that:

• benefit the Auckland gay community
• benefit a large number of individuals
• have an educational focus
• assist in reducing the marginalisation of gay people within society

The main fundraising event each year is the gaba charity auction which this year, is being held on the 30th July. Click here for more information and tickets.

The success of the gaba Annual Charity Auction last December raised over $15,000 in new funds now available for distribution to GGBT Community organisations and individuals.

DInner with Chris Carter?