Carter's Mussolini jibe embarrasses Labour

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Gaffe-prone Labour MP Chris Carter has failed to amuse party bosses with a joke likening the prime minister to Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Mr Carter said he spotted John Key posing on a ninth-floor Beehive balcony for a photo shoot and called out: "You look like Mussolini."

"It worked," responded Mr Key, to which Mr Carter replied: "Not for long."

The Labour MP posted the jocular exchange – along with a photo of Mussolini – on his party's Red Alert blogsite.

It was quickly removed after the site was bombarded with complaints, but set off a chain of reactions on other political blogs.

Red Alert editor Trevor Mallard refused to comment on the issue last night, but it is believed Mr Carter was reprimanded for the stunt.

Mr Carter, who has previously embarrassed the party with revelations about his travel expenses and his complaints of media persecution for being gay, laughed off the controversy last night.

"If some people were offended by the reference to fascism, I apologise for that, but I can't help thinking it's more about politics than people being offended."

He said he had telephoned Mr Key's office and offered to apologise if the prime minister had taken offence, but there had been no response.

Mr Key appeared to take the joke better than Mr Carter's colleagues.

"I don't really take anything Chris Carter says seriously," he told reporters.

- © Fairfax NZ News