Chris Carter (politician)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Joseph Carter (born 4 May 1952) was an independent Member of Parliament
in New Zealand
, and a former member of the New Zealand Labour Party
until his expulsion. Carter was a senior Cabinet Minister
in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
, serving lastly as Minister of Education
, Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office
and Minister of Ethnic Affairs. He was the Member of Parliament for the Te Atatu
electorate, where he was first elected in 1993
. He did not win re-election (to Waipareira
) in 1996
, but won a new and expanded Te Atatu
seat in 1999
. In 2010 he was suspended from the Labour Party
caucus
following a dispute with party leader Phil Goff, shortly afterwards he became an independent MP. He was expelled by the Labour Party for breaching the Party's constitution in bringing the Party in disrepute, on 11 October 2010.
In September 2011 Carter resigned from Parliament following his appointment to a United Nations position in Afghanistan.
. He was educated at St Peter's College, Auckland
and at the University of Auckland
where he received an MA
(Hons) in history
.
Before entering politics, Carter had served as a teacher and as a poultry
farmer. His partner is Peter Kaiser, a headmaster, and they have been together for over 30 years. On February 10, 2007, Carter and Kaiser were joined in the first civil union for a Cabinet Minister or Member of Parliament since civil unions in New Zealand
were introduced after legislation was passed in December 2004.
man ever appointed as a New Zealand Cabinet
minister. He has been a strong advocate of gay
equality for some time, and has continued this role since entering Parliament
. He also started one of the first branches of New Zealand Rainbow Labour
for centre-left lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered people (LGBT
) and others during the 1996-1999 term, during which he temporarily lost a seat during Mixed Member Proportional electoral system restructuring.
At the 2005 general election
, Carter was re-elected to his seat with 59.2% of the vote, a majority of 9,165.
Labour lost power in the 2008 general election
. Carter was re-elected, but his majority was reduced to 5,298.
On 14 June 2010, 4 days after the release of ministerial credit card records, Carter along with two other MPs Shane Jones MP and Mita Ririnui MP (Lab - Lists) were demoted by Opposition Leader Phil Goff MP (Lab - Mt. Roskill) for misuse of such credit cards. In the case of Carter, he was accused of purchasing personal items with the card, which was outside the rules for Ministerial expenditure as a minister under the former Clark government over a six-year period. Carter has since repaid the money in full. Carter's demotion included removal from the front bench, and loss of the shadow portfolio of Foreign Affairs. Carter subsequently speculated publicly about whether he would continue as a Member of Parliament.
announced that Chris Carter was officially an independent MP.
mission in Kabul
, Afghanistan, with responsibility in assisting the Afghan government in fighting corruption. His parliamentary seat remained vacant until the 26 November as there is no requirement to hold a by-election when there is less than six months to a general election.
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Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and a former member of the New Zealand Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
until his expulsion. Carter was a senior Cabinet Minister
New Zealand Cabinet
The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand
The Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand between 10 December 1999 and 19 November 2008.-Overview:The fourth National government, in power since 1990, was widely unpopular by 1999, with much of the public antagonised by a series of free-market economic reforms,...
, serving lastly as Minister of Education
Minister of Education (New Zealand)
The Minister of Education is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the country's schools, and is in charge of the Ministry of Education.The present Minister is Anne Tolley, a member of the National Party.-History:...
, Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office
New Zealand Education Review Office
The Education Review Office or ERO is a relatively small state sector organisation of New Zealand tasked with reviewing and reporting publicly on the quality of education in all New Zealand schools...
and Minister of Ethnic Affairs. He was the Member of Parliament for the Te Atatu
Te Atatu (New Zealand electorate)
rightTe Atatū is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Te Atatū is Chris Carter, who is formerly of the Labour Party, but is currently an Independent MP...
electorate, where he was first elected in 1993
New Zealand general election, 1993
The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New...
. He did not win re-election (to Waipareira
Waipareira
Waipareira is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate in West Auckland, which existed only from 1996 to 1999, and was held by Brian Neeson.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres:* Te Atatu Peninsula* Massey...
) in 1996
New Zealand general election, 1996
The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...
, but won a new and expanded Te Atatu
Te Atatu (New Zealand electorate)
rightTe Atatū is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Te Atatū is Chris Carter, who is formerly of the Labour Party, but is currently an Independent MP...
seat in 1999
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
. In 2010 he was suspended from the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
following a dispute with party leader Phil Goff, shortly afterwards he became an independent MP. He was expelled by the Labour Party for breaching the Party's constitution in bringing the Party in disrepute, on 11 October 2010.
In September 2011 Carter resigned from Parliament following his appointment to a United Nations position in Afghanistan.
Early and personal life
Chris Carter was born on 4 May 1952, and brought up in the Auckland suburb of PanmurePanmure, New Zealand
Panmure is a south-eastern suburb of Auckland City, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 11 kilometres southeast of the city centre, close to the western banks of the Tamaki River and the northern shore of the Panmure Basin...
. He was educated at St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College, Auckland
St Peter's College is a Catholic college for year 7 to 13 boys . The school, located in Auckland, is one of the largest Catholic schools in New Zealand and is an integrated school under an integration agreement entered into by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the Government of New Zealand in...
and at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
where he received an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(Hons) in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
.
Before entering politics, Carter had served as a teacher and as a poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
farmer. His partner is Peter Kaiser, a headmaster, and they have been together for over 30 years. On February 10, 2007, Carter and Kaiser were joined in the first civil union for a Cabinet Minister or Member of Parliament since civil unions in New Zealand
Civil unions in New Zealand
Civil union has been legal in New Zealand since 26 April 2005. The Civil Union Act to establish the institution of civil union for same-sex and opposite-sex couples was passed by the Parliament on 9 December 2004. The Act has been described as very similar to the Marriage Act with references to...
were introduced after legislation was passed in December 2004.
Member of Parliament
Carter was the first openly gayHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
man ever appointed as a New Zealand Cabinet
New Zealand Cabinet
The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
minister. He has been a strong advocate of gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
equality for some time, and has continued this role since entering Parliament
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
. He also started one of the first branches of New Zealand Rainbow Labour
Rainbow labour
Rainbow Labour is part of the New Zealand Labour Party. It started as a branch in Chris Carter's Auckland Waipareira electorate in 1997, just after Chris Carter had been narrowly defeated in the election the previous year. At about the same time, Tim Barnett, newly elected to Parliament as an...
for centre-left lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered people (LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) and others during the 1996-1999 term, during which he temporarily lost a seat during Mixed Member Proportional electoral system restructuring.
At the 2005 general election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...
, Carter was re-elected to his seat with 59.2% of the vote, a majority of 9,165.
Labour lost power in the 2008 general election
New Zealand general election, 2008
The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social...
. Carter was re-elected, but his majority was reduced to 5,298.
On 14 June 2010, 4 days after the release of ministerial credit card records, Carter along with two other MPs Shane Jones MP and Mita Ririnui MP (Lab - Lists) were demoted by Opposition Leader Phil Goff MP (Lab - Mt. Roskill) for misuse of such credit cards. In the case of Carter, he was accused of purchasing personal items with the card, which was outside the rules for Ministerial expenditure as a minister under the former Clark government over a six-year period. Carter has since repaid the money in full. Carter's demotion included removal from the front bench, and loss of the shadow portfolio of Foreign Affairs. Carter subsequently speculated publicly about whether he would continue as a Member of Parliament.
Removal from caucus
On 29 July 2010 Carter was suspended from the Labour Party caucus for allegedly being behind an anonymous letter sent around the Press Gallery claiming there was a leadership challenge against Phil Goff; a charge he has since admitted. On 17 August 2010, Speaker Lockwood SmithLockwood Smith
Alexander Lockwood Smith is a New Zealand politician, the 28th and current Speaker of the House of Representatives. Smith is a member of the New Zealand National Party, who has served as a Member of Parliament since 1984...
announced that Chris Carter was officially an independent MP.
Post-parliamentary career
In early September 2011 Carter was appointed as director of the Governance Unit of the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
mission in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan, with responsibility in assisting the Afghan government in fighting corruption. His parliamentary seat remained vacant until the 26 November as there is no requirement to hold a by-election when there is less than six months to a general election.
Further reading
- For some more biographical details: List of alumni of St Peter's College, Auckland
External links
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