John Carter (New Zealand)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Parl.	Electorate	List Pos.	Party
42nd	Bay of Islands	n/a	National
43rd	Bay of Islands	n/a	National
44th	Far North	n/a	National
45th	Northland	34	National
46th	Northland	16	National
47th	Northland	21	National
48th	Northland	15	National

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

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 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.

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'.

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