National willing to support UN Secretary-General bid by Clark

National would be willing to support any bid by Prime Minister Helen Clark to become United Nations Secretary-General, leader Don Brash said yesterday.

"It is clearly in New Zealand's wider interests to have New Zealanders in those kinds of international positions so we would certainly want to be as constructive as we could be," he said.

He was commenting after Weekend Herald columnist Fran O'Sullivan suggested speculation was building in foreign affairs circles about Helen Clark as a possible contender and that she may have sought the support of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

It is Asia's turn to hold the post after incumbent Kofi Annan steps down at the end of the year. South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon was in New Zealand last week lobbying for support.

Dr Brash said National would follow the bipartisan approach taken when former Labour Prime Minister Mike Moore successfully sought the director general's job of the World Trade Organisation and former National Foreign Minister Don McKinnon successfully sought to become secretary-general of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

His support of an international post is in marked contrast to his domestic criticism of her last week, when he said in a speech: "I feel very safe, if rather sad, in pointing out that Helen Clark's Labour Government is quite simply the most corrupt Government in New Zealand history."

Helen Clark said yesterday she had not discussed the matter with Mr Blair and said speculation was "fiction".

But she was careful with her words and did not rule out the possibility when asked whether she could be persuaded to stand if no consensus was found among the current round of candidates.

"I can say to you that I have had no approach about that position; I have made no approach about that position; it is not on my mind.

"I have consistently said that the best job for me in the world right now is the one I have, being Prime Minister of New Zealand."

Asked what New Zealand's position on Mr Ban's candidacy was, Helen Clark said "We haven't taken a position on any candidacy."