A man who wanted to be Act Party leader is now putting his hand up to be the National Party candidate in Tamaki.
National's Tamaki MP Clem Simich already faces a contest with party hopeful Margaret Voyce.
Now Bartercard New Zealand chief executive Denis Orme says he is also seeking the candidacy.
Mr
Orme was in the news in May when he said he was putting his name forward for the Act leadership when Richard Prebble announced he was stepping down.
However, Act president Catherine Judd previously told NZPA that no nomination from Mr Orme had been received as he had not followed the proper, "simple" process and filled out a nomination form.
Mr Orme said at the time that he had emailed his information to Ms Judd.
Mr Orme told National Radio today that a lot of people in Tamaki had asked him to stand "so I've put my hand up".
Asked whether he had talked to the party hierarchy as well as the electorate committee, Mr Orme said he had mainly talked to the people of the Tamaki electorate.
"I have a lot of contacts in businesspeople from that electorate and they're saying clearly we'd like a choice just to see what is available because National does need the strongest team going into the election."
His message was that New Zealand needed to get "back into the world economy".
Mr Orme said he was not a National Party member but he was a "long time National Party voter".
National Party president Judy Kirk today told NZPA that candidates needed to be National Party members. If they were not, they needed to apply for a waiver from the board.
Mr Simich won the safe National seat of Tamaki in a by-election following Sir Robert Muldoon's retirement in 1992.
Ms Voyce has said previously that the people of Tamaki were "relishing" the chance to have a contested National Party selection and active representation in Wellington once more.
Mr Simich has brushed off the challenge, describing Ms Voyce as "unelectable" and accusing her of divisive tactics which will not succeed.
Act has claimed it can win Tamaki off National.
- NZPA
