Feather in cap for Carter

By FRANCESCA MOLD political reporter

Chris Carter has worked as a chicken farmer, a teacher and a politician.

But the Labour MP will go down in history for his newest job, which makes him the country's first openly gay Cabinet minister.

Mr Carter, who was New Zealand's first openly gay MP when he entered Parliament in 1993, was elected to the Cabinet by his Labour caucus colleagues in a secret ballot yesterday, as were Banks Peninsula MP Ruth Dyson and John Tamihere, who represents Tamaki Makaurau.

They replace former Alliance ministers Matt Robson, Laila Harre and Sandra Lee.

Prime Minister Helen Clark also confirmed that her deputy, Michael Cullen, will become Deputy Prime Minister when ministers are sworn in on Thursday.

Progressive Coalition leader Jim Anderton will be No 3 in Cabinet ranking.

Mr Carter said his appointment was a sign that the Government was committed to including all New Zealanders in the process of government.

"But I'd like to be defined by my efficiency, not my sexuality."

Asked if he was concerned about working in the Government with United Future, which has a reputation for being morally conservative, Mr Carter said he had been reassured by a statement from United leader Peter Dunne that his party was centrist and moderate.

Mr Carter, the MP for Te Atatu, was formerly Labour's junior whip and deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Trade select committee.

He has been described as Helen Clark's right-hand man and played a role during two difficult times in her career: the defamation payout to John Yelash and the Paintergate scandal.

During the police inquiry into Paintergate, Mr Carter refused to give police copies of phone records or to sign a statement. In the Yelash case, Mr Carter was accused of phoning him to ask if he had any "dirt" on Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels, who was later sacked amid revelations about a past relationship with a teenager.

Mr Yelash was later paid $55,000 in a defamation settlement after the Prime Minister called him a murderer. He had been convicted of manslaughter.

Before politics, Mr Carter worked as a secondary school teacher and a poultry farmer breeding pedigree chickens. His partner of 29 years, school principal Peter Kaiser, was at Parliament to congratulate Mr Carter yesterday.

Ruth Dyson was also among those being congratulated on their promotions.

She already has ministerial responsibility for Disability Issues and holds associate roles in Health, ACC and Social Services/Employment. But her position had been outside the Cabinet until yesterday.

Ms Dyson's promotion ends any speculation her career may have been damaged by her drink-driving conviction in November 2000, which resulted in her temporary resignation from ministerial responsibilities. She was reinstated in June last year after serving out her six-month driving disqualification.

Ms Dyson said yesterday that the incident was not an issue in terms of her new appointment.

"I see it as irrelevant, certainly today," she said. "It's the first time I've stood for Cabinet and I was elected."

She did not yet know which portfolios she would be responsible for. She would like to continue with her current responsibilities but would be happy taking on something completely new.

Ms Dyson has been tipped to pick up the Women's Affairs portfolio. She has been active in women's organisations, the peace movement and environmental groups since the early 1970s.

She was Labour Party president before becoming the MP for Lyttelton in 1993. She was a list MP from 1996 until 1999 when she won Banks Peninsula, which she held with a 4057-vote majority last month, defeating National finance spokesman David Carter.

Although the Cabinet members are elected by their Labour colleagues, Helen Clark allocates their responsibilities. She will reveal her decision tomorrow.

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