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Labour MP Charles Chauvel will not be seeking his party's nomination for Wellington Central.
A Labour Party spokeswoman confirmed that Mr Chauvel had withdrawn his nomination and had indicated he would seek the candidacy for Ohariu.
Wellington Central Labour MP Marion Hobbs is retiring at the next election and her seat is now likely to go to the former adviser to prime ministerial Helen Clark, Grant Robertson.
Ohariu is held by United Future leader Peter Dunne.
Last week Mr Chauvel was elected chairman of Parliament's finance select committee.
The vacancy was created when the former chairman Shane Jones was made a minister in last week's reshuffle.
Mr Chauvel ruffled a few feathers recently when he issued a statement welcoming his appointment as parliamentary private secretary to Attorney-General Michael Cullen as well as announcing his role as Labour's nominee on the committee.
This upset some in the Beehive because the positions had not yet been confirmed and were not his to announce.
NZPA understands that offers of an appointment have not been ruled because of the gaffe, but the announcements have been put down the Government's work priorities as a message to Mr Chauvel.
Mr Chauvel's election to the committee chairmanship is a sign he is not totally out of favour with all his fellow MPs.
Mr Chauvel's press release blunder followed his angering many colleagues by telling them he might refuse the minor roles and quit politics, if he did not get a ministerial role in the reshuffle.
Mr Chauvel is a highly qualified lawyer, but is the second most junior MP in Labour after entering Parliament last July.
- NZPA
