Gosh, Helen, fancy meeting you here

Helen Clark and Labour's Auckland Central candidate, Judith Tizard, cross paths with Nandor Tanczos on the election trail in Ponsonby Rd yesterday. Picture / Richard Robinson

There was an awkward moment as the Greens tried to divert media attention from the Prime Minister yesterday.

Auckland Central Green Party candidate Nandor Tanczos and a team of supporters ambushed Helen Clark yesterday afternoon as she was leaving a Ponsonby art gallery after announcing Labour's arts policy.

With a television crew filming and cameras clicking, the Green MP and Helen Clark shook hands and made polite banter in a moment reminiscent of Don Brash's chance encounter with Act leader Rodney Hide in Wellington days earlier.

Mr Tanczos, however, put his presence down to chance.

"We were campaigning up and down Ponsonby Rd ... and we heard the Prime Minister was going to be doing this, so we thought, 'oh, we'll come and say hello'."

He laughed when it was put to him that it was a stunt.

"It's important for people to see that the Greens and Labour are friendly, co-operative and that we can actually work constructively together. That's the key message.

"That's, of course, when you compare that with Don Brash. There are no parties he can work with ... It's just a demonstration of what's happening in different sides of the house."