Cunliffe gives Kaiser a hug

David Cunliffe, right, greets Peter Kaiser at the electorate committee meeting. Photo / Janna Dixon

The latest stage of the political execution of MP Chris Carter was overseen yesterday by his partner, who was hugged by one of the politicians tipped to take over from Labour's present leader.

Labour finance spokesman David Cunliffe greeted Carter's partner Peter Kaiser with a hug when the Te Atatu electorate committee met to discuss the next step in dealing with the rogue MP.

Kaiser is secretary of the committee, which met Labour president Andrew Little and about 30 others for more than two hours.

Carter faces certain expulsion from Labour after publicly denouncing leader Phil Goff, saying the party had no hope of winning next year's election and needed a new leader.

Cunliffe, who is MP of the neighbouring New Lynn electorate, has frequently been named as a potential future leader of the party.

But he said last night that his attendance at the meeting had been at the request of the "leadership of the Labour Party".

"I've made it clear that I stand behind the leader."

Little said Kaiser's position was not discussed at the meeting. "There has been no discussion about Peter Kaiser. We've been talking about the issue which will go to the New Zealand Council next week which will be about Chris Carter and issues about Te Atatu."

He would not be drawn on whether the committee had taken a vote to support Carter. He said "people want to be compassionate to Chris".

"I'm more concerned about the fact that when the New Zealand council comes to consider the issues they have a good and strong basis to do so."

Little also set a firm line over one of the issues that Carter said he had quit over - whether employers should be allowed to offer workers cash for their fourth week of annual leave, Little yesterday told TV3's The Nation: "There will be no tradeability of the fourth week of annual leave."

Goff had previously said he did have "huge objections" to the plan. Last night a spokesman for Goff said: "Labour believes workers should have four weeks' holiday and it doesn't support the Government's moves.

Workers should get better wages so they don't need to sacrifice holidays."

On Thursday, Goff said he could understand why workers would trade holidays when they were running short of cash.

Carter's electorate office in Te Atatu still displays Labour party signs but that is likely to change after his future with the party is decided at a national council meeting on August 7.

Labour's bickering has also burst out online, then been quickly deleted. Trevor Mallard posted a comment on the Labour party's Red Alert blog under the subject line "Once a rainbow warrior".

Mallard acknowledged it was contentious. "Advised not to use the line but I do think the day needs lightening up," he wrote.

The comment was taken down but not before Carter had time to respond.

"If anyone else wrote that comment you would be calling them homophobic and put them in moderation. Still I guess when your [sic] on the out the true feelings start coming to the surface."

A steady stream of people visited Carter at his home yesterday morning, including lawyer Deborah Manning, who has been tipped as a possible Te Atatu candidate. Among other possible contenders was former Alliance leader Laila Harre.