'Harassment' pushed Carter says partner

Peter Kaiser and Chris Carter.

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Chris Carter's civil union partner, Peter Kaiser, says harassment over the past 12 months nearly drove the Te Atatu MP to resign before last week's attempt to topple party leader Phil Goff, an act which led to his suspension.

Carter is set to be expelled by Labour next weekend after being exposed as the writer of an anonymous letter seeking to destabilise Goff's leadership.

Carter lashed out after being revealed as the author, saying Labour had no chance of winning the next election under Goff.

Labour MPs have rallied behind Goff and questioned Carter's mental state.

Kaiser said he was not surprised, but he asked for understanding because Carter had been under "continued harassment politically".

"In any other workplace it would be an issue of harassment requiring intervention, and I think that's how he feels.

"When under such pressure people don't always make the best judgements, even if they believe what they're saying."

Kaiser is Carter's Te Atatu electorate chairman and a staunch Labour supporter.

He said he remained 100% behind Labour and if there were discussions about Carter's future, he would declare a conflict of interest and stand aside.

As Carter's partner, he supported him "in everything he does", but as his electorate chairman he was reserving judgement till the issue had been debated.

If Carter was deselected as a Labour candidate, he would resign as electorate chairman to avoid any conflict of interest, he said.

Carter has been under scrutiny over his spending and travel while a minister in Clark's government over trips taken with Kaiser, a school principal. Kaiser said the controversy had also taken a personal toll.

"It's been embarrassing and difficult. Neither of us mind issues being canvassed in the public interest, but there are points when one feels there has been harassment.

"I'm happy to acknowledge that in hindsight I may have travelled more often with him than was prudent. But what we would still say, and is completely true, is that all travel was under cabinet rules and passed by cabinet."

The decision to travel together was to keep their relationship together.

"When he entered parliament, we agreed we would make sure ours was not a relationship that suffered and crashed.

"I've been on the partners' association for years and I can tell you, I've seen how many marriages and relationships are broken up through politics."

He had also been upset by the way Carter was slammed for sending him flowers.

"It is so ridiculous. I'm an employer and I send flowers regularly when there are periods of stress.

"The flowers that came to me were when my son, then 11, was undergoing cancer treatment – a really stressful time. The flowers were sent by his office staff."

Kaiser – Carter's partner of more than 30 years – said former prime minister Helen Clark was among those who counselled Carter in June to quit if his heart was no longer in it, when the MP was under pressure over his expenses and facing demotion by Goff.

Kaiser said Clark provided two pieces of advice.

"She told him to throw it in if his heart wasn't in it, or if the pressure was too much – or to knuckle down and stay."

- © Fairfax NZ News