Simon Bridges denies he's having talks about doing an election deal with National Party MP Alfred Ngaro in the Auckland electorate of Botany in the event that Mr Ngaro forms a Christian conservative political party.
Mr Bridges, National's leader, is defending his decision to give the National MP space to negotiate and consider the potential of setting up a new party.
Mr Ngaro would have to weigh up the possibility of leaving National to form any new party, and although Mr Bridges says there is a gap in the market for a "Christian party", the question is whether or not there is enough incentive for Mr Ngaro to leave National.
There's speculation a Christian conservative party could be an opportunity for National to make some much-needed political allies.
But, Mr Bridges told TVNZ1's Breakfast today, while he has discussed the topic with Mr Ngaro a month or two ago - to which Mr Ngaro said he had been approach by several people throughout the country about the party but it was in "very early discussion stages" - there were no plans to cut an election deal with him.
Mr Bridges told Breakfast: "I said look, that's great, let me know how you get on and that's literally the conversation that we've had."
He said neither him, nor anyone else from the party has been talking to Mr Ngaro further.
"Ultimately, look, is it an interesting idea? Of course it is, but it's for him and really my position, the National Party's position - we want people to vote National but we're happy to give Alfred the space to sort of see where he gets to on."
The National Party leader says Christian or values-based parties have “done very well” in the past.
Breakfast host John Campbell quizzed Mr Bridges, saying Mr Ngaro, who was 20th on National's list last election, wouldn't walk away from the party without incentive.
"You could stand aside, Epsom-style [when National MP Paul Goldsmith allowed ACT to swoop on the Epsom seat last election], in Botany and really gift him [Mr Ngaro] the opportunity and create a coalition partner for yourselves," Campbell said.
But Mr Bridges said, "I am saying absolutely we are not going to do a deal on Botany, it is a seat that National has held ... and I want to put a strong National candidate in and win that seat for National. We have had no other conversations, Alfred and I, in fact we've never discussed Botany for that matter.
"Right now, yep, we're in an interesting situation but it's one for him. I want people to vote National."
He then said he had no intentions to do a deal on another seat, when quizzed again by Campbell again.
"I intend to do, effectively what John Key did actually, and that's at the start of next year be clear with New Zealanders about ACT and Epsom and where our position is on that and about partys that may or may not be there," Mr Bridges said.
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