Two big questions at NZ First conference

Two big questions hang over New Zealand First as it heads into its annual convention in Taupo today.

Where will Winston Peters stand?

And who will replace MP Brian Donnelly when he becomes High Commissioner to the Cook Islands?

Party president and former MP Dail Jones yesterday strongly hinted that Mr Peters will return to contest Tauranga which he lost to National's Bob Clarkson last election, after holding it for 21 years.

He said that was where Mr Peters stood the best chance of winning and he said Mr Peters would make an announcement in December - which is a lot more than Mr Peters is willing to say on the matter.

In an interview this week, Mr Peters would not even give a hint of a timetable or even say where he called home.

Asked where he lived: "I spend a lot of time in Tauranga; I spend a lot of time at the beach more [Whananaki] and I spend some time in Wellington and I spend some time in Auckland because almost one third of the votes is up there."

Mr Peters, who is also Foreign Minister, returned to New Zealand on Wednesday after a lengthy and tiring trip to Europe. Mr Peters said he had stepped up his Foreign Affairs travel commitments this year, so that he could ease off a little in the second half of next year, election year.

Mr Jones himself is thought to be eyeing a comeback to Parliament in February if the two list candidates ahead of him, Susan Baragwanath and Jim Peters, decline to take up the vacancy.

That would be a highly contentious move within the caucus, of whom Mr Jones has been critical in the past. MP Barbara Stewart mounted an unsuccessful challenge against Mr Jones last year.

The upside for the caucus is that it would almost certainly mean that Mr Jones would have to step down as party president which would limit his influence over their list rankings next year.

Susan Baragwanath has not been active in the party since the last election and said this week she had not decided what to do.

"I have a very busy life. I am not sure. I need to have a good chat with Winston for starters," she told the Herald.

Jim Peters has a job as Maori pro-chancellor of Auckland University says he has not

Winston Peters told the Herald this week that he would have nothing to do with who filled the vacancy.

"We have a statutory situation here and we will see how it works out but I have got no role to play in it.

"These people are able to make decisions all by themselves and freely by themselves. They aren't coming under any pressure from anyone.

He admitted to there being tensions within his party but said he was yet to find a party that was tension-free. The tensions within his party were "healthy" and were over how to interpret emerging policy or situations that were not covered in the manifesto or confidence and supply agreement.