The National Party has unveiled its election year list, with a number of first term MPs surging into the top 20.
It’s substantially different from the list that National released prior to the 2020 election, understandable given the change of leadership in 2021, a pair of byelections (Tauranga and Hamilton West), and the typical moves that happen over a parliamentary term.
However, the top 20 is pretty as expected, with the first few filled out by Christopher Luxon followed by Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, Shane Reti and Paul Goldsmith. Simeon Brown is in slot nine and former leader Judith Collins rounds out the top 10.
There are 21 women and 19 men in the top 40, which Luxon said was proof of his goal to oversee increased diversity within the National Party (however, there are just eight women in the top 20). There are candidates from European, Māori, Indian, Pacific Island and Korean backgrounds, he said. “We are refreshing and renewing the National Party. The choice for New Zealand couldn’t be any starker,” he told reporters today. “I made a commitment I would improve diversity when I took over the leadership.”
First term MPs Penny Simmonds, Simon Watts, and Nicola Grigg snap up spots in the top 20 – 16, 17, and 19 respectively – with a handful of candidates currently not in parliament in the early 20s. Nancy Lu, Suze Redmayne, Katie Nimon, and Catherine Wedd are ranked 20, 21,22, and 23.
“I am absolutely confident that this is the team that will provide New Zealanders with strong, stable government,” said party president Sylvia Wood. “The list is determined a committee of delegates, democratically elected across the country.”
The full list:
1 | Christopher Luxon | Botany | |||
2 | Nicola Willis | Ōhāriu | |||
3 | Chris Bishop | Hutt South | |||
4 | Shane Reti | Whangārei | |||
5 | Paul Goldsmith | Epsom | |||
6 | Louise Upston | Taupō | |||
7 | Erica Stanford | East Coast Bays | |||
8 | Matt Doocey | Waimakariri | |||
9 | Simeon Brown | Pakuranga | |||
10 | Judith Collins | Papakura | |||
11 | Mark Mitchell | Whangaparāoa | |||
12 | Todd McClay | Rotorua | |||
13 | Melissa Lee | Mt Albert | |||
14 | Gerry Brownlee | List | |||
15 | Andrew Bayly | Port Waikato | |||
16 | Penny Simmonds | Invercargill | |||
17 | Simon Watts | North Shore | |||
18 | Chris Penk | Kaipara ki Mahurangi | |||
19 | Nicola Grigg | Selywn | |||
20 | Nancy Lu | List | |||
21 | Suze Redmayne | Rangitīkei | |||
22 | Katie Nimon | Napier | |||
23 | Catherine Wedd | Tukituki | |||
24 | Tama Potaka | Hamilton West | |||
25 | Agnes Loheni | List | |||
26 | Maureen Pugh | West Coast-Tasman | |||
27 | Emma Chatterton | Remutaka | |||
28 | James Christmas | List | |||
29 | Dale Stephens | Christchurch Central | |||
30 | Siva Kilari | Manurewa | |||
31 | Harete Hipango | Te Tai Hauāuru | |||
32 | Rosemary Bourke | Māngere | |||
33 | Frances Hughes | Mana | |||
34 | Paulo Garcia | New Lynn | |||
35 | Blair Cameron | Nelson | |||
36 | Barbara Kuriger | Taranaki-King Country | |||
37 | Tracy Summerfield | Wigram | |||
38 | Hinurewa te Hau | Tāmaki Makaurau | |||
39 | Angee Nicholas | Te Atatū | |||
40 | Vanessa Weenink | Banks Peninsula | |||
41 | Rima Nakhle | Takanini | |||
42 | Ruby Schaumkel | Kelston | |||
43 | Mahesh Muralidhar | Auckland Central | |||
44 | Dana Kirkpatrick | East Coast | |||
45 | Scott Sheeran | Wellington Central | |||
46 | Navtej Singh Randhawa | Panmure-Ōtāhuhu | |||
47 | Carl Bates | Whanganui | |||
48 | Carlos Cheung | Mt Roskill | |||
49 | Matthew French | Taieri | |||
50 | Matt Stock | Christchurch East | |||
51 | Karunā Muthu | Rongotai | |||
52 | Ankit Bansal | Palmerston North | |||
53 | Joseph Mooney | Southland | |||
54 | Simon O’Connor | Tāmaki | |||
55 | Scott Simpson | Coromandel | |||
56 | Stuart Smith | Kaikōura | |||
57 | Sam Uffindell | Tauranga | |||
58 | Tim van de Molen | Waikato | |||
59 | Miles Anderson | Waitaki | |||
60 | Dan Bidois | Northcote | |||
61 | Mike Butterick | Wairarapa | |||
62 | Cameron Brewer | Upper Harbour | |||
63 | Hamish Campbell | Ilam | |||
64 | Tim Costley | Ōtaki | |||
65 | Greg Fleming | Maungakiekie | |||
66 | Ryan Hamilton | Hamilton East | |||
67 | David MacLeod | New Plymouth | |||
68 | Grant McCallum | Northland | |||
69 | James Meager | Rangitata | |||
70 | Tom Rutherford | Bay of Plenty | |||
71 | Felicity Foy | List | |||
72 | Janelle Hocking | List | |||
73 | Kesh Naidoo-Rauf | List | |||
74 | Senthuran Arulanantham | List |