Paul Henry to stand for ACT in this year's election

Paul Henry says he is "absolutely not interested" in taking leadership of the ACT Party and has not had a discussion with leader David Seymour about it.

The veteran broadcaster will run as an ACT candidate this election, Seymour announced in Auckland on Tuesday morning.

Henry told Midday Report he imagines he'll be right up the Party list, but is waiting on the decision on the party board.

Henry is one of the country's best-known personalities, recognised for his long television and radio career and his provocative, often polarising interviewing style.

He previously ran unsuccessfully for National in the Wairarapa electorate in 1999, defeated by Labour's Georgina Beyer.

Henry was appointed to TVNZ's board last year, but told reporters he had resigned from the role this morning as it was now "untenable" for him to stay on.

Addressing reporters from the rooftop of the QT hotel in Auckland, Henry said he had decided to re-enter politics because of his hopes for grandchildren and his fears of a Labour government.

"Let me tell you: if [Labour win], it will be a complete disaster," he said.

"This is a particularly vital election. In the last three years, the country has been nudged in the right direction, but only nudged. It needs a huge lurch in the right direction."

Henry also reserved some cutting words for other political parties too, including National and New Zealand First.

Of his former party, Henry said he was "enormously disappointed" with National given its centrist and "little bit populist" policies.

And of New Zealand First, he quipped: "I used to host the Traitors, so I know a little bit more about Winston and New Zealand First than anyone else."

Henry said he had been thinking about joining ACT "without realising it" since he delivered a speech at a party rally two years ago.

He said he hoped to be a minister, but was a little wary of sitting in Parliament late at night "listening to a bunch of twats carping on".

"I'm 65 years old. I'm not doing this to waste my time or anyone else's... I want the opportunity to make as much of a difference personally as I can."

Seymour said he expected the ACT Party board would put Henry in an "electable and respectable position".

He said Henry would bring "wit, intelligence, and a powerful voice" to the ACT team, along with a polling boost.

"He is sharp, fearless, and an exceptional communicator. More importantly, he has a genuine love for New Zealand and a deep frustration at the opportunities we are wasting," Seymour said.

"Paul is not entering politics because he needs another career. He is standing because he refuses to sit back while New Zealand becomes poorer, less ambitious, and divided by race."

The ACT Party had earlier promoted the event as a "major election-related announcement", only teasing it as a "very exciting" development.

Henry is arguably most well-known for his long tenure hosting TV One's Breakfast programme.

He resigned from that high-profile position in 2010 after a public backlash to his ridicule of an Indian politician's name - Sheila Dikshit - as well as questioning whether the then-Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand was a New Zealander.