Editorial: An extraordinarily inept way to end your career

OPINION: Chris Carter's brain implosion is the George W Bush of political suicides.

It is hard to imagine a more inept act than that which the former Labour front-bencher made against Opposition Leader Phil Goff. As coup attempts go, it makes the past decade's manoeuvrings in Fiji look like models of subtlety.

The letter Mr Carter wrote "anonymously" predicting Mr Goff's downfall was petty, vindictive and pointless – and the saga deteriorated beyond farce from that point on. That his own, apparently distinctive handwriting appears on the envelope is extraordinary. According to Fairfax political commentator Colin Espiner, closed circuit television caught Mr Carter posting it, and the Labour leaders identified the culprit quickly. Rather than stabbing Mr Goff in the back, he merely slashed his own wrist, in a political sense.

Mr Carter's motive was as simple as his method and its delivery. In a word, it was petulance, of the criminally foolish variety. Mr Goff demoted the one-time protege of his predecessor Helen Clark for his excessive spending on travel, hotels and meals while a minister and in opposition. If anything, he was treated lightly. Rather than being grateful for a second chance and knuckling down to graft his way back into favour, he appears to have suffered something of a mental meltdown and mounted what can best be seen as a pathetic attempt to destabilise his party's leadership. Given that he might retain some support within the party, if not within its caucus, key questions remain around what damage he has done and will continue to do to the party he still professes to love.

He has clearly enjoyed dipping into the public trough – witness the massages he enjoyed on his ministerial credit card at Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh in 2008 – and is not prepared to forego his $150,000-a-year-plus salary. He is unlikely to coast along quietly to the next election and a change of lifestyle – even though he has so totally wrecked his credibility that he might struggle to find an audience when next he decides to open his mouth.

For Labour and the bigger picture, the timing of Mr Carter's bizarre challenge could not have been worse. A political poll this week had National dipping below 50 per cent and Labour gaining slightly. It is expected that the re-emergence of NZ First – tipped to be boosted by the return of former MP Michael Laws who is standing down as Whanganui mayor this year – will help Labour by drawing some support from National. The Government's backdown over mining sensitive conservation land and its signalled reform of labour laws offer the Opposition at least the hope of gaining some traction. And then along came Mr Carter.

In Mr Goff's favour, the episode has at least provided the opportunity to show he can act firmly and decisively against a woefully errant and disloyal former member of the team. He might also be fortunate that a potential Labour leader Shane Jones forever blotted his copybook when he admitted renting pornographic videos, on his own ministerial credit card. Another current MP said to be keen on the job – eventually – is David Cunliffe, while union leader Andrew Little might be a future prospect. Ditto Nelson-based Maryan Street.

However, with Labour consistently trailing the Nats by around 20 percentage points in the polls, even if Mr Carter is right about there being discontent in the ranks, taking on the party leadership over the next 18 months would not be the smartest of career moves anyway.

- © Fairfax NZ News