KEY POINTS:
Former Cabinet minister David Benson-Pope has put his name forward for selection to represent Labour in his Dunedin South electorate at the next election.
He has the full support of his electorate committee.
Mr Benson-Pope, 57, said his nomination had been filed with the party, but he declined
to make any further comment.
He was elected to Parliament in 1999, replacing Finance Minister Michael Cullen as the Dunedin South MP when Dr Cullen moved to the North Island and became a list-only MP.
Mr Benson-Pope's decision to seek re-election could complicate the plans of Prime Minister Helen Clark as she tries to rejuvenate the party and show a new face of Labour to the electorate.
Helen Clark did leave the way open for the Dunedin South MP to return to the Cabinet after forcing him to resign in July.
But it is unlikely he will feature in the reshuffle that could come as early as this week after the announcement by Education Minister Steve Maharey that he would not seek re-election next year.
Party sources in Dunedin said yesterday there were no mutterings in the electorate about Mr Benson-Pope standing again, as he was regarded as a hard-working local MP.
"It's come as no surprise to me he has renominated," one official said.
Mr Benson-Pope was forced to resign from the Cabinet in July over the Madeleine Setchell affair.
It followed his late admission that he had offered an opinion to Environment Ministry head Hugh Logan on Ms Setchell's employment, something he had earlier denied.
Ms Setchell is the partner of National Party leader John Key's chief media adviser.
Labour sources said Mr Benson-Pope had strong support from his electorate committee, which would be unlikely to support a "carpetbagger" from outside the electorate seeking the nomination.
It is thought there have been no other nominations for the Dunedin South Labour nomination, but that is unconfirmed.
Without a challenger, party headquarters will have no opportunity to interfere in the selection process.
The electorate committee was hoping Mr Benson-Pope would eventually be promoted back to the Cabinet in the future, a source said.
But it was acknowledged that although the MP had many skills that could be used by the Government, his image had been tarnished.
The strength of support for Mr Benson-Pope will be put to the test when the party's regional list ranking meets early next year.
Although the MP has one of the largest majorities in the country, a low list ranking will indicate his future is unlikely to include a new role in the Cabinet.
After serving as Government whip, he was elected to the Cabinet in 2004.
The Government's much vaunted Working for Families policy and much of the work around the Resource Management Act changes were delivered by Mr Benson-Pope.
The MP is understood to be enjoying the role of being only an electorate MP and spending more time with his family.
He is thought to be philosophical about his prospects for promotion and, at present, is happy to be the MP for South Dunedin.
The Labour Party holds its annual conference in Auckland on between November 2 and 4.
- Otago Daily Times
