Phil Goff

Auckland, June 25 NZPA - Labour Party leader Phil Goff is satisfied with Chris Carter's apology, saying the demoted MP has had time to reflect on his behaviour last week and his misuse of his ministerial credit card.

Mr Carter apologised to taxpayers and colleagues today at Parliament over travel spending when he was a government minister.

"I'll be absolutely honest. At first I didn't think I had done anything wrong," he told reporters.

"I have thought about that, I've been at home, consulted my partner, reflected on it and concede there is an issue of excessive travel and the amount of times (my partner) travelled."

He said the trips were important, but he had used his senior position to take on more of them than he should have, much of which included taking along his partner.

The tone of his apology was in contrast to his behaviour last week when he appeared defiant, prompting Mr Goff to send him home to his Te Atatu electorate to reflect on his position.

Mr Goff said this afternoon he was satisfied Mr Carter's apology had been genuine and did not think it necessary to punish him further, but he would remain on the second bench for now.

After the row broke, Mr Carter was removed from his front bench foreign affairs role and given the second bench ethnic affairs and conservation portfolios.

"He had a very rough week last week, partly self inflicted," Mr Goff said today.

"I think he does understand that there was genuine public concern and he needed to acknowledge that and to make a commitment that in the future this sort of thing wouldn't happen.

"I think he has had time to consider, to take advice from friends, to come to the conclusion that his behaviour last week wasn't acceptable and to make a genuine apology, and I believe he's done that."

Mr Goff said he had not put pressure on Mr Carter to apologise, saying he needed to face the consequences of his actions for himself.

He would not be reinstated to the front bench at this stage, he said.

"...like all other members of caucus he will be judged on his performance when further down the track I consider further changes."

While the ministerial spending saga was not good for Labour's reputation, it would have done no more harm than the furore over Finance Minister Bill English's accommodation allowance or when Housing Minister Phil Heatley used his ministerial card to buy personal items, he said.

"I think that the whole credit card affair involving both previous Labour ministers and National ministers probably hasn't done any good for the reputation of parliamentarians as a whole.

"But I am persuaded that transparency will work to ensure that people do face up to their responsibilities."

Mr Goff said he had dealt with his MPs' misspending appropriately.

"When the facts were put to me I responded appropriately and I responded strongly and decisively," he said.