A Letter To My Local MP

Dear Chris

I don't suppose you'll ever read this. Even if you do, I don't expect any of my words to penetrate through the hard shell of self-entitlement you live inside.

But because I voted for you in 2008 I'm going to tell you what I think, and if you don't like that then tough luck. You were elected to represent me, and to be my advocate. So listen up.

You obviously don't like being in Opposition. Perhaps it isn't grandiose enough for you. You seemed to enjoy the trappings of office, and all the travel that went with it. And we are always hearing about what you want and what you are entitled to. How many times have we been told how badly you want to be foreign minister?

Somewhere in your journey you forgot you were a servant of the people. You would complain whenever someone challenged you. This whining became repetitive and incessant, and your victim mentality started to become a running joke. You must have known your behaviour was damaging Labour. I'm sure the people around you told you so. Had you been a loyal and selfless party man you'd have just shut up, endured the bad press, and continued to fight hard for your team.

Instead, you launched one of the most inept attacks on a political leader this country has ever seen.

So you don't like Phil Goff's leadership. That's fine. It's hard being out of office when the polls are loving the other guy. But did you really think attacking Goff in the media would end well? Events over the last several months have suggested you are little more than an overpaid drama queen*, so I'm sure you are well pleased with the martyrdom you have now achieved. Even if it has caused incalculable damage to Labour and ensured whatever slim chance it had in 2011 has now gone.

You say you remain a loyal Labour man, but your actions show you don't put a high value on loyalty. You say that Helen Clark is a close friend, but I can well imagine what she must think of your stupid stunt. Clark would not have tolerated your inept behaviour for a moment.

I voted for you last election, because I felt a reasonable loyalty towards Labour. I'm not a party member, and not everything Labour does pleases me. But I wasn't prepared to support National.. Some people say you're a hard-working MP, and maybe you are, but you're also the member of a political party, and if you think people voted for you simply because of who you are and not which party you stood for, just try standing in 2011 and see what happens.

Chris Carter, you have no place in Labour or in Parliament. Had your act of disloyalty occurred in another country or in another time you might have been taken outside and shot, or given a dagger and told to do the decent thing. Instead you can remain an MP for another year, despite no longer representing the people who put you there.

So cling to office, just as Philip Field did, and enjoy the perks of office, because in 2011 you will be gone.

* Let me assure you that I don't use that term because you are gay. I don't think that has anything to do with this matter.