Peters challenges Clarkson's election spending

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has lodged a petition with the High Court over the election spending of the man who defeated him in Tauranga.

If the petition is successful a by-election could be held.

The Chief Electoral Officer has been making preliminary inquiries into some aspects of National Party candidate Bob Clarkson's election expenses but has put that on hold until after a ruling on the petition.

Detail of what the petition claims were unavailable tonight.

Among pre-election claims about spending were that Mr Clarkson overspent his $20,000 limit by not counting a three-page newspaper endorsement in the local Bay of Plenty Times, taken out by customers of his property business, and billboards advertising his company.

Mr Peters' campaign manager John Foote said last week he believed Mr Clarkson spent as much as $30,000 over the limit.

However Mr Clarkson has maintained his spending did not go overboard.

"We left a big enough margin to cover the expenses in dispute and I'll be saddened if Winny and his supporters waste their money (on a petition)," he said last week.

Mr Peters originally entered Parliament in 1979 after a similar move -- a court-ordered recount taking Hunua for National in 1979.

Chief Electoral Officer David Henry said today there had been no applications for judicial recounts of election results this time.

Mr Clarkson said Mr Peters was a "poor loser" who had no chance of taking back the seat through legal action.

"If he wants to be stupid he can, he's clutching at straws. He is a poor loser," Mr Clarkson told National Radio.

The new Tauranga MP had rechecked all possible election expenses and was confident his campaign had not breached the Electoral Act.

"We are still under budget."

Mr Peters was desperate and had "zero" chance of winning the petition.

"He's been around for a while and he's getting old and fuzzy in the brain, that is the problem," Mr Clarkson said.

He had been told that there would be a pre-trial hearing by phone tomorrow and was unsure of the process after that.

Mr Clarkson had been given Mr Peter's petition detailing his accusations and said some were clearly incorrect.

The main part of the complaint was about an advertising feature on Mr Clarkson's building business run by the Bay of Plenty Times and the cost of signs that had been erected, he said.

- NZPA