Claims Steve Morris is holding ratepayers to ransom by campaigning for a new job while working as a Tauranga City councillor are being flatly denied by him.

Talking to SunLive, Steve says any campaigning or lobbying involved in the pursuit of a Bay of Plenty National Party candidacy will be done in his own time – as councillors do their re-election campaigning.

'That's all in my own time, that's not set aside for council meetings,” says Steve. 'I won't be putting in apologies for meetings because I have to door-knock. You have still got to do your work.”

Steve, who has been campaign manager for the current National Party incumbent, Health Minister Tony Ryall, says Tony's recent announcement he's retiring from politics is a surprise to everyone.

'It was obviously a big shock,” says Steve. 'Nobody expected it; nobody was aware, apart from a couple of days beforehand. I took some time to reflect on it.”

The response from Steve's Tauranga City Council colleagues when he talked the situation over is what convinced him to throw his hat in the ring.

Tony Ryall has held the Bay of Plenty seat since 1996, with it widely seen as a safe National seat and a direct route to parliament as an elected MP, rather than a List MP.

'We are going to have some very talented and very skilled people come into the area to seek nomination,” says Steve.

He's learned there is a strong feeling being expressed it's in the best interests of the community to have the next BOP MP hail or come from the community to give, along with Tauranga MP and Energy and Labour Minister Simon Bridges, a strong local voice in parliament.

'When I started hearing that from colleagues, as well as people out there, that's the thing that tipped me over,” says Steve. 'That's my view as well.”

If Steve succeeds in obtaining the nomination, and resigns from his council seat a TCC by-election will be required, which is estimated to cost $70,000.