KEY POINTS:
The rapidly growing Indian community is being targeted by the National Party, as leader John Key reiterates he wants more ethnic diversity in his caucus after next year's election.
National - which typically has a mainly white and middle class turnout at its annual conference - has been approached by three or four Indian New Zealanders who want to stand for the party and Mr Key said he was keen to see an Indian in Parliament.
"We think that's a big constituency in New Zealand and one that needs representation," he said.
"We don't have an Indian candidate or an Indian MP at the moment, there isn't one in Parliament."
According to the most recent census, the Indian community is the fastest growing ethnic community in New Zealand. Just over 100,000 people identified as being Indian in the census last year, a 68 per cent increase on 2001.
National fielded an Indian candidate in the 2005 election, when Hillsborough Baptist pastor Ravi Musuku challenged Prime Minister Helen Clark for her Mt Albert electorate seat.
The Prime Minister unsurprisingly beat him with a comfortable margin of almost 15,000 votes, and Mr Musuku then narrowly missed entering Parliament through National's list.
But yesterday the 51-year-old said he was keen to run against Helen Clark again next year and was going through the selection process for National. He appeared confident of achieving a higher list ranking that would give him a good chance of getting into Parliament next time.
"I'm still very much in the fray, I'm doing what is required to be done," Mr Musuku told the Herald.
He said Indians in New Zealand were generally not very politically active, partly because migrants often sided with whoever was in power at the time. "That's true with any migrants - they don't like to get on the wrong side with those who are in power."
But National has a battle on its hands if it wants to secure a big portion of the Indian vote, because it is a constituency that Labour puts considerable time and effort into.
Senior Labour MPs, including Prime Minister Helen Clark, are often seen attending functions and celebrations with the Indian community, although the party does not have an Indian MP. The parties sole representative from the subcontinent is Ashraf Choudhary, who is Pakistani.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister predicted National faced an uphill battle to get more ethnic diversity into its caucus. "If you look at their party conferences and meetings they are very, very narrowly based in comparison with Labour," Helen Clark said.
"I think they've got a lot of catch up to do there and I wouldn't think on their present structure and organisation it would be easy for them."
National has a Chinese MP in Pansy Wong, and a handful of Maori MPs. Mr Key said selection would ultimately come down to ability, but he would like to see more Maori, Pacific Island, and Asian faces in National's caucus.
- additional reporting NZPA
