By BERNARD ORSMAN
Alliance Party president Matt McCarten is considering standing in Auckland Central at next year's election after getting a taste for public office in the Auckland City mayoral contest.
Mr McCarten, who ran a humorous and energetic mayoral campaign, has been approached in the past week about standing against
Judith Tizard in Auckland Central.
Ms Tizard, who is Prime Minister Helen Clark's ministerial assistant on Auckland issues, undermined Mr McCarten when she encouraged Labour supporters to vote for former National minister Christine Fletcher to stop John Banks.
A furious Mr McCarten called it the act of a rat swimming towards a sinking ship and ridiculed her as the "minister assisting the Prime Minister with her handbag".
Mr McCarten yesterday said it was no secret that Labour institutions were supporting Mrs Fletcher and not him, which had been shown to be a flawed strategy.
He confirmed he had been approached about standing in Auckland Central.
"I didn't run for the mayoralty on the basis of raising my profile for Parliament next year. I have always been ambivalent about getting elected to public office.
"But I have enjoyed being a candidate."
The Alliance, which has given Mr McCarten the job of rebuilding its support in Auckland, is keen to win a second electorate seat before leader Jim Anderton retires in Wigram.
It is understood that senior Alliance MP Laila Harre wants Mr McCarten to stand in Auckland Central ahead of Sandra Lee, who held the seat for a term from 1993 until 1996, when Ms Tizard secured it for Labour.
Ms Tizard, who has a 5285 vote majority, said she was not worried about a possible challenge from Mr McCarten.
Helen Clark said the Alliance could run who it liked in the electorate but the reality was Labour had a strong track record there.
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