Chris Carter was unjustified in his recent attack on Phil Goff's leadership. He deserved to be expelled from the Labour caucus. Unfortunately for Chris, he has failed to accept that there were legitimate questions about public expenditure and that the Key administration and its media allies would relish the opportunity to attack the opposition over such expenditure. Such tactics were profitable for the British Tory Opposition in the United Kingdom, and it appears the Key administration is copying them. Accordingly, his initial demotion was justified on that basis and was not attributable to homophobia. Moreover, Phil Goff took the opportunity to promote capable lesbian and gay Labour MPs like Maryan Street, Charles Chauvel and Grant Robertson in the wake of that event, so clearly the Labour Party is still the same inclusive centre-left party that it was under Helen Clark's leadership. It is also still our best hope for eventual adoption and marriage law reform. Phil Goff is clearly no homophobe himself. Chris' current actions are not those of a team player. He is distracting attention from Key administration insanities like the expansion of the ninety day fire-at-will bill to include other businesses, against workers rights to fair dismissal, its threatened anti-beneficiary welfare cutbacks, conservation land mining proposals and other issues. He cannot seem to accept that in order to be an effective Opposition and eventual government, parliamentary parties require strategy, unity, focus and discipline. This is a sad business. Chris is a hardworking and diligent Te Atatu constituency MP, just as he was a Cabinet Minister. - Craig Young Craig Young - 30th July 2010