Cullen to be Deputy PM, hints Clark

By AUDREY YOUNG, political reporter

Helen Clark has given her strongest hint yet that she wants her Labour deputy, Michael Cullen, to replace Jim Anderton as Deputy Prime Minister.

She also says she told her MPs before the election that if any of them lobbied her for a particular place in the Cabinet she would automatically rule them out of contention.

The Prime Minister made her comments on the Holmes leaders' debate last night between her and National leader Bill English - the first time she has agreed to go head-to-head with Mr English since he became Leader of the Opposition nine months ago.

Asked about the deputy prime ministership, she virtually ruled out giving it back to Mr Anderton, who gave up leading the poorly rating Alliance to lead the poorly rating Progressive Coalition.

"He will be a minister but obviously he is coming in with probably somewhat less support than the Alliance had last time and don't think there'd be an expectation of him being Deputy Prime Minister.

"In normal circumstances one would expect the deputy leader of one's own party to be. But at our last caucus prior to the general election my message to my colleagues was that if a single one of them approached me about any position, they would immediately be rendered ineligible because our focus has to be on the best result we can get on Saturday."

Helen Clark avoided saying whether she would be prepared to make New Zealand First leader Winston Peters Deputy Prime Minister again or give the job to one of the Greens' co-leaders. The prospect of United Future leader Peter Dunne becoming Deputy Prime Minister was not canvassed.

A snap Herald-DigiPoll survey published yesterday showed that Mr Dunne has had a meteoric rise in support since his appearance on the all-leaders' Holmes debate on Monday last week.

The poll suggested United Future could hold the balance of power after the election. Its 6.6 per cent support could make Mr Dunne part of either a Labour-led government or a National-led government.

The poll was the first to indicate that a centre-right government was possible.

Mr English said that in Labour's advertising Helen Clark had been attacking her "mates" - the parties that could be her coalition partners.

"I want to say that that poll ... does rip this election wide open," he said.

"If the voters give a mandate, I am willing to lead a government with the support of like-minded parties."

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