Politics

National announces party list

09:07 am on 5 September 2011

The National Party has announced its list of candidates for the November general election.

Prime Minister John Key takes the number one spot and his deputy, Finance Minister Bill English, is at number two.

Speaker and Rodney MP Lockwood Smith has jumped from 12th position to third.

The two most notable movers are Social Development Minister and Waitakere MP Paula Bennett, up from number 41 to 14, and list MP Hekia Parata who is elevated from 36 to 18.

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Ms Parata says she believe the move recognises her performance in Parliament and in her electorate of Mana.

Sitting MPs Tau Henare and Maurice Williamson have slipped down the ranks to 40 and 19 respectively, but are still in winnable spots based on current polling.

Mr Henare says he was annoyed when he first heard he had dropped significantly down the party's list.

He says he has taken it as a signal to work hard to win his local electorate seat in Te Atutu.

Party president Peter Goodfellow says priority has been given to the current leadership and Cabinet ministers.

"The list ... in those first two dozen really reflects the Cabinet rankings rather than the party's assessment.

"We're happy to reflect the leadership that the Cabinet actually has at those levels."

Mr Goodfellow says list MP Katrina Shanks, who is standing in Wellington's Ohariu electorate, has been placed at number 38.

Mr Goodfellow says that shows National's backing for the leader of its support partner United Future, Peter Dunne, who it wants to retain the Ohariu seat.

National's candidate in Epsom, Paul Goldsmith, takes 39th place after a deal with ACT in that seat.

The two newest list candidates high on the list are university lecturer Jian Yang, at 36, and pastor Alfred Ngaro at 37th place.

Of the 75 names on the list, 24 are women and Cabinet ministers Judith Collins and Anne Tolley are the only women to be named top ten.

Prime Minister John Key, says he has successfully pushed the party to develop a list that has more ethnic diversity, but he says he would like it to also feature more women in its ranks and in the Cabinet.

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National Party list

    1 John Key

    2 Bill English

    3 Lockwood Smith

    4 Gerry Brownlee

    5 Tony Ryall

    6 Nick Smith

    7 Judith Collins

    8 Anne Tolley

    9 Chris Finlayson

    10 David Carter

    11 Murray McCully

    12 Tim Groser

    13 Steven Joyce

    14 Paula Bennett

    15 Phil Heatley

    16 Jonathan Coleman

    17 Kate Wilkinson

    18 Hekia Parata

    19 Maurice Williamson

    20 Nathan Guy

    21 Craig Foss

    22 Chris Tremain

    23 Jo Goodhew

    24 Lindsay Tisch

    25 Eric Roy

    26 Paul Hutchison

    27 Shane Ardern

    28 Amy Adams

    29 Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga

    30 Simon Bridges

    31 Michael Woodhouse

    32 Chester Borrows

    33 Nikki Kaye

    34 Melissa Lee

    35 Kanwaljit Bakshi

    36 Jian Yang

    37 Alfred Ngaro

    38 Katrina Shanks

    39 Paul Goldsmith

    40 Tau Henare

    41 Jacqui Dean

    42 Nicky Wagner

    43 Chris Auchinvole

    44 Louise Upston

    45 Jonathan Young

    46 Jackie Blue

    47 Todd McClay

    48 Alan Peachey

    49 David Bennett

    50 Tim Macindoe

    51 Cam Calder

    52 John Hayes

    53 Colin King

    54 Aaron Gilmore

    55 Jami-Lee Ross

    56 Paul Quinn

    57 Paul Foster-Bell

    58 Maggie Barry

    59 Ian McKelvie

    60 Mark Mitchell

    61 Mike Sabin

    62 Scott Simpson

    63 Claudette Hauiti

    64 Joanne Hayes

    65 Leonie Hapeta

    66 Sam Collins

    67 Jonathan Fletcher

    68 Heather Tanner

    69 Denise Krum

    70 Carolyn O'Fallon

    71 Viv Gurrey

    72 Karen Rolleston

    73 Brett Hudson

    74 Linda Cooper

    75 Karl Varley