After being rejected as the National Party candidate for the Botany by-election, former broadcaster Maggie Barry has confirmed that she is looking at seeking the candidacy in another National safe-seat.

Barry confirmed yesterday that she is considering putting her name forward to be the National Party candidate for the North Shore seat. That seat is currently held by Wayne Mapp, but Mapp is retiring this year.

North Shore is solid National Party territory, and it is expected that Barry would easily win the seat were she picked as the National candidate.

But after her rejection in Botany, Barry has confirmed she is looking at other options.

“There are possibilities further afield,” Barry told reporters yesterday.

“There are congressional elections in the US next year, and a presidential race,” Barry said.

“It would be quite a commute, but it would be the chance to give something back to a community that has given me so little over the years.”

Asked if she had decided which US party she would stand for, Barry confirmed she was still undecided. That would depend upon which utterly safe congressional seat she could be parachuted into, she said.

Unfortunately for Barry, citizenship rules may scupper any attempt by her to stand for a seat in the United States House of Representatives.

And while Barry has expressed an interest in the US Presidency, the office is only open to US-born citizens.

But Barry said she was not deterred by the legal hurdles in her way.

“It may be that we have to move for a constitutional amendment,” she said.

“My people are looking into whether that could be done within the next couple of weeks. I understand that there have been about twenty-seven amendments to the US constitution over the years, so it’s something that can be done.

“If that doesn’t work then one option is to work out how the current President did it. I’ve heard some people say he was born in Kenya, so there must be some form I can fill in to get this through.”

But Barry admitted that the bid to stand in the US might be beyond her.

“If it’s just not viable, then I may have to consider other options,” she said.

“I understand the Governor Generalship is up for grabs, with a new appointment expected soon.

“With my radio career and love of gardening, I think I’d make a fine representative of the Queen. I’d love to get among the roses at Windsor Castle.”

Barry also confirmed she was looking at other countries where she could make a difference.

“I’ve heard that there are elections due in Egypt in September, with the President there saying he will stand down. Being anointed as his successor would be as good as being dropped into a safe seat, although I worry about all that bother with the protesters. I have already started to learn Arabic, just in case.

“The Middle East is a dry and barren place, but that’s nothing a few more flower beds wouldn’t fix. My green fingers could transform the entire region.”