A nightmare for Goff

Poor Phil. He wanted the Chris Carter episode dealt with quickly. But Chris Carter has shown immense cunning. After Phil and Trevor all called him unwell, he has turned around and said yes I am unwell, and I need two months leave. This means that issues around Carter and Goff’s leadership will still be in the public eye come October.

Stuff reports:

Suspended Labour MP Chris Carter has asked for two months leave from Parliament because he is unwell.

Labour president Andrew Little said today Mr Carter was seeking appropriate treatment, but his leave meant any decision on his membership of the Labour Party was unlikely to be made this week.

Very cunning indeed.

It is understood Mr Carter’s leave must initially be approved by Labour’s whips, till his leave entitlement  is used up. If he wats to take more leave after that he will need to get approval from Speaker Lockwood Smith.

But he has been thrown out of the Labour Caucus, so why do the Whips approve it?

Party sources yesterday indicated Mr Carter could be suspended at next Saturday’s meeting of the council as an interim measure, but Mr Little’s comments confirm the party is taking a cautious approach over any disciplinary measures.

The likely outcome has been downgraded from expulsion to suspension to “a discussion”. This raises the real possibility that at some stage Carter will be back in the Labour caucus.