Carter at tonight's GABA function
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Increasingly hounded by the media and facing political oblivion due to his politically damaging behaviour in recent months, Carter attended the event with his partner and Te Atatu electorate secretary, Peter Kaiser. He chatted amiably with a number of people but the pair appeared to quietly leave half-way through the evening.
Adding a heightened political flavour to the annual auction were donated items such as a bottle of Bellamy's gin, signed by Prime Minister John Key, which raised $550 and a bottle of wine signed by ex-PM Helen Clark which went for $400.
Dinner with Carter, who is patron of GABA, had earlier been removed from the online part of the auction due to homophobic abuse being posted alongside it, and raised $350 through bidding at tonight's function.
A feared media scrum failed to materialise after GABA stipulated that only representatives of bona fide glbt media would be allowed inside the Maritime Museum venue.
MCs for the function were TV celebrity Steven Gray and drag performer Beaver Brown. Entertainment was provided by Mika and a bevy of dancing boys. Past officers of GABA were acknowledged and a toast was raised to the 25 years during which GABA has provided networking opportunities for glbt businesspeople and support for glbt community organisations and events.
Proceeds from the auction will be used by the GABA Charitable Trust to fund grants to glbt projects and causes, applications for which will be canvassed later in the year.
