John Banks ready to try Epsom comeback

John Banks. Photo / Natalie Slade

John Banks is ready to stand for Act in Epsom - he is just waiting for the green light.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to help out. If Epsom is the opportunity, then I would embrace that," Mr Banks told the Herald yesterday.

He said he would be happy to stand, even if that meant competing with Rodney Hide for the Act candidacy.

"I'm never intimidated by battling to win anything, and I do not have any God-given right to the Act candidacy for Epsom. I have to earn it."

A number of polls have pointed to more support for Mr Banks than Mr Hide in Epsom, and the race for the Super City mayoralty still showed strong support for Mr Banks.

He beat Len Brown by 12,629 votes in the Orakei ward - which includes Epsom - even though he lost the mayoralty by 60,198 votes.

"People in Epsom are asking me to stand. They have done so every single day since I left the mayoralty," Mr Banks said.

Mr Banks, a National Party member and former cabinet minister, said he would discuss joining Act with its board.

Mr Banks said he would also be willing to contribute in other ways.

"I'd be prepared to put my shoulder to the wheel to help the party raise some cash for the election."

When asked if he would donate to the party, he said: "I'm someone that's always pretty generous."

Mr Banks, 64, said he was not too old to return to national politics and he had plenty left in him, though he was not interested in standing for National.

"I'm still relatively young. I've only had 13 elections in three decades of public life. I see myself as probably halfway through my career.

"I think I represent a great demographic. I like older people and I value our senior citizens and I'd like to think I'd be a good representative for what they stand for and stand against, as opposed to having Parliament full of young kids."

Dr Brash last night said it was up to the board to decide on candidates but made a clear preference for Mr Banks.

"What is crucially important for Act is that people in Ekatahuna and Waikikamukau know that Act has Epsom in the bag. Rodney assures me he could have won Epsom but ideally I want someone standing in Epsom who can not only win it but be seen to win it months in advance and I think John Banks would do that."