Goff: Carter's leave not my issue

Labour leader Phil Goff says Chris Carter is no longer part of the party's caucus so he doesn't need to apply for leave from the party whips. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour leader Phil Goff says Chris Carter is not his problem any more and the caucus is moving on.

He disputes that the two months' leave Mr Carter wants to take mean a ongoing cloud will hang over his leadership and says the issue is now behind him and he has his caucus' support.

Mr Carter was ejected from Labour's caucus last Thursday within hours of being identified as the author of an anonymous letter to the media saying the party couldn't win next year's election with Phil Goff as leader.

The party's national council is to meet on Saturday and would discuss Mr Carter's actions. Any decision, such as stripping him of party membership, could not now be quickly made.

"Our rules state that Chris Carter needs the opportunity to be heard before any disciplinary action is taken," Party president Andrew Little said.

Normally Labour Party whips would need to give Mr Carter permission to take time off. An MP can take off up to 14 sitting days - Parliament sits three days a week and not every week. Once that period was up an application would need to be made to Speaker Lockwood Smith or Mr Carter's pay could be docked by $10 a day. As an MP Mr Carter earns about $145,000 a year.

However, Mr Goff said it was not up to the whips because Mr Carter was no longer in Labour's caucus.

"It's got nothing to do with me. Chris Carter is not part of our caucus, he doesn't need to apply for leave and I am not giving it or withholding it."

Prime Minister John Key said he doubted anything was wrong with the errant MP and it felt like an excuse.

"He didn't look very sick to me last week, he looked fairly exercised about the fact that he didn't think Phil Goff could win an election."

Mr Goff accepted Mr Carter's supporters' opinion that he wasn't well.

"But that does not excuse the actions that he took last week. He has borne the consequences of those, he is out of my caucus, he will not be coming back. The party will make its decision according to its due process and however long that takes that process will be followed.

"This issue is already behind our caucus... we're moving on."

Asked if the illness may be a ruse, Mr Goff said he had no idea.

Mr Little said that he would prefer the situation to be resolved sooner but Mr Carter needed to be able to defend himself.

"If he's unwell... the issue is put aside but eventually he will have to front up and answer the allegations that the party has against him about his conduct."

When he talked to Mr Carter on Friday "he said some things that didn't make a great deal of sense to me but I've been told he has sought medical advice, the diagnosis is that he is unwell and I accept that".

Mr Little revealed today that Auckland lawyer Claudia Elliott had been the go-between.

"It's not unusual in a disciplinary situation for someone to engage a lawyer. Over the weekend we've had very constructive and cooperative engagement with his people and I expect that will continue."

Mr Goff said he stood by his earlier comments that he expected nominations for Mr Carter's Te Atatu seat to reopen and that he would not stay in the party long.

- NZPA