Former PM for Diplomatic Post- Keys said

A diplomatic posting for former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark is a "live option" if she wants such a job, Prime Minister John Key says.

Miss Clark stood down after Labour's loss became apparent on election night, but is still in Parliament as an MP and Labour's foreign affairs spokeswoman.

Mr Key today said he had spoken to Miss Clark for about 20 minutes about foreign affairs issues such as Fiji, while they were at a TVNZ Christmas party recently.

It followed a 45-minute briefing Miss Clark gave to Mr Key before he attended the Apec forum last month.

Asked today if he would offer her a diplomatic post, Mr Key said it was an option.

"Look I think if that was a step she wanted to take that would definitely be a live option," he said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme.

"But at this point I think she is just taking stock of what she wants to do -- gathering her own thoughts -- including about what she might want that to be."

source: NZPA