By James Murray
Labour MP Chris Carter has been sent home from Parliament by Phil Goff after refusing to apologise over expenses.
Mr Goff had instructed the beleaguered MP to return to his constituency of Te Atatu after refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing and that he had let the public down.
However, Mr Carter did not board a plane returning to his constituency and instead sent out a written apology.
Mr Carter said he had been under pressure.
"This has been a very difficult time for me and it has been difficult to choose the right words to be said when under intense pressure from journalists.
"I acknowledge that my temperament when under pressure can make me appear as if I am not contrite or embarrassed. I assure the New Zealand public I am," he said.
Mr Goff will comment shortly as to whether the apology was enough to save Mr Carter from further demotion and allow him to retain his spokesman roles.
It is not thought that Mr Carter will be expelled but he may lose the Conservation portfolio he was given as a consolation prize today after an outburst while being questioned by reporters.
Mr Carter had refused to answer questions about his earlier demotion from the Labour front bench and kept reporters waiting for an hour and a half before emerging to release a short statement and then returning to his office.
The MP was clearly agitated and swore at a door when he couldn’t get it to open.
Carter's refusal to speak to reporters was in stark contrast to Goff and the other Labour MPs involved - all of whom had fronted and apologised for using their ministerial credit cards outside of the rules.
Mr Goff said his MP was under stress and that Mr Carter had been sent home on leave.
“I expect him to make a clear response which meets my expectations within 24 hours,” he said.
"I don't need the sort of circus that occurred after the caucus, that should not have happened."
Mr Goff said after the messy media stand-up that situation could change.
"His position as conservation spokesperson and within the shadow cabinet is in doubt at this point," he said.
Earlier today Mr Carter was stripped of his Foreign Affairs portfolio and demoted to 13 on the party list – something that Duncan Garner had described as a let off in his latest blog.
Read Duncan Garner's blog on Chris Carter's expense troubles.
3 News / NZPA