Banks 'confident' of Epsom nomination

Don Brash has endorsed John Banks. Photo / Natalie Slade

The Act Party is expected to open nominations for the crucial seat of Epsom today and former Auckland Mayor John Banks is "quietly confident" he has the inside running.

Mr Banks made it clear last night that he wanted to follow a proper process.

"I'm not looking for any easy ride to the line. If a high-quality candidate steps up to the plate, someone of outstanding ability, then I'm happy to step aside and support that person."

Mr Banks has already had a huge endorsement from the party's new leader, Don Brash.

The former mayor said he had already received indications of support from other members of Act, but would not say from whom.

"I'm quietly confident that I can come through this," Mr Banks said.

Act board member and chairwoman for Auckland South Barbara Steinijans said the nomination would be open until May 24, and the party board would meet on May 28 to select the candidate.

She said she supported Mr Banks.

"We have to do it the right way, so we're following the right procedure and giving anyone else who might have been considering it a chance to put their name forward."

The move is seen as a first step towards installing Mr Banks in the crucial seat of Epsom, and extinguishing incumbent Rodney Hide's last chance of standing there.

Mr Hide has said he would only stand for Parliament - either in an electorate or on the list - if he had the support of Dr Brash.

The party's hold on Epsom is seen as important to convince voters that a vote for Act will not be wasted, which could happen only if the party failed to win 5 per cent of the party vote or an electorate seat.

Dr Brash said he was "delighted" Mr Banks was going for the selection, and he still felt that Mr Hide would best serve the party by not standing in the election.

Meanwhile, Act parliamentary leader John Boscawen said he was determined to let party founder Sir Roger Douglas, thought to have been sidelined under Mr Hide's leadership, have a "far bigger say in how we campaign and how we present our policies in the next seven months [to the election] than he has had in the past two years".

If National could not govern without Act's support after the election, Mr Boscawen said the party could have as a bottom line a pledge to revisit the foreshore and seabed legislation.

National will choose its North Shore candidate tomorrow night from a field that includes former radio and television presenter Maggie Barry.