He was defeated by Tom Molomby, who wrote: "His was a remarkable policy statement, the most blatant demonstration of political cynicism (I cannot believe it was the only other alternative, stupidity) which I have ever seen in an ABC election.".

[5] Carleton was parodied on the Australian sketch-comedy shows Fast Forward and Comedy Inc. for his perceived over-prominence on 60 Minutes.

In July 2000, the ABC's Media Watch program accused Carleton of plagiarising the BBC documentary A Cry from the Grave.

[7] (However, the judge also found Media Watch was entitled to express the views it formed and eventually awarded costs against Channel Nine and to the ABC.[6]).

Media Watch themselves claimed that Carleton had interpreted the judgement as favouring him, when they believed it didn't, and they refused to apologise.

[11] First-hand reports from the scene indicated that Carleton had a weak pulse when taken by ambulance to the Launceston General Hospital and that he had been puffing and gasping not long before he collapsed.