Former Labour MP John Tamihere says it is too early to be definitive about a return to Parliament in 2014, but says if he does seek a return he looks forward to the contest.
Last week sources said Mr Tamihere had joined the Labour Party again and was sounding out the hierarchy about standing.
Speaking on Q & A this morning, Mr Tamihere said it was early in the electoral cycle to be absolutely definitive about a return to Parliament but confirmed he was "looking seriously" at it.
"A paid political commentator is quite handsome, you don't suffer the same difficulties, but you do have to make decisions sooner or later as to whether you're going to go back."
He would not confirm that he would be chasing the Waitakere seat, but said he would not chase a Maori seat.
"The Waitakere seat is not a marginal seat, it's a safe seat for Labour, it should never have been lost in 2008, it should have been won back in 2011. Something needs to happen within the party to start that conversation," he said.
"The tussle and the contest, in the event that I did flag, I look forward to."
He said Labour was the only party which provided worthwhile change for the country, but conceded that the Labour front bench was not "firing".
Mr Tamihere lost the Tamaki Makaurau seat to Maori co-leader Pita Sharples in 2005.
Since then Mr Tamihere - now in his early 50s - has co-hosted a show on RadioLive with Willie Jackson and heads the Waipareira Trust.
In 2005 he was quoted in Investigate magazine talking about the Holocaust and describing women as "front bums" - in a conversation he claimed had been off the record. He described Helen Clark as too emotional and criticised other Labour ministers.
