Carter says 'good friend' quip was joke

Chris Carter. Photo / Mark Mitchell

MP Chris Carter has dismissed his description of Labour MP Trevor Mallard as "one of my 17 good friends" as a joke after it was taken seriously by some onlookers.

Recently ejected from the Labour Party, Mr Carter was asking a question in Parliament today and referred to Mr Mallard as "my very good friend and former colleague".

National MPs responded with laughter prompting Mr Carter to continue by saying "one of my 17 friends" - a reference to the 17 Labour MPs he had said had discussed a leadership change with him. He has never named those MPs but National has had much sport in trying to guess them.

After the exchange yesterday Mr Carter confirmed it was "tongue in cheek" and aimed at riling up National MP Paul Quinn.

"It was in response to the nonsense the Nats were coming out with. Paul Quinn was sitting very near to me and I knew any mention of Trevor would get him going."