John Carter (New Zealand)

John McGregor Carter (8 May 1950 - ) is a New Zealand politician, and member of the National Party.

Before entering politics, Carter worked as a local government administration official.

Member of Parliament

Carter was elected to Parliament in the 1987 elections, winning the Bay of Islands electorate. He has remained an MP for that area since then, although the seat was called Far North in 1993 and is now called Northland. When the National Party came to power in the 1990 elections, Carter became the Junior Government Whip, and then Senior Government Whip until 1995 and again from 1996 to mid-2004.

Carter was sacked as Whip in 1995, after he phoned into a talkback radio show, hosted by fellow National MP John Banks, impersonating a workshy Māori called Hone, causing widespread offence.

Political views

Carter is a supporter of the Monarchy in New Zealand. In 1992, a year described by Queen Elizabeth II as her "annus horribilis", Carter called on New Zealanders to write in to express their support for her, having written to "The Times" of London criticising the British media's apparent lack of respect towards the Queen. Inundated with letters of support, he remarked that "we wanted her to know we cared". In March 1994 he publicly disavowed Prime Minister Jim Bolger's call for New Zealand to become a republic.

External links

* [http://www.national.org.nz/MP.aspx?Id=32 New Zealand National Party] - MP profile
* [http://www.johncarter.co.nz/ www.johncarter.co.nz] - official website