Green Party delegates have voted to place a parliamentary outsider ahead of a sitting MP in an initial list released on Monday.
Efeso Collins, the failed Auckland mayoral candidate, appears at number 12 on the initial list, while MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere has been propelled up the rankings.
A party list is a ranking of candidates put forward by a political party in the order in which they want them elected. The share of the party vote the party receives at a general election then determines how many candidates from the list will become MPs.
Ahead of general elections, Green Party delegates chosen by local branches vote on an initial list of candidates after hearing from them. All Green members will then have the opportunity to either agree to the initial list or to rank the candidates in their preferred order. This leads to the formation of a final list, which is expected to be released in late May.
The initial list has been released on Monday, with co-leader Marama Davidson given the top spot, followed by co-leader James Shaw. Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick is in the third position.
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere is ranked fourth, a big jump from her current position of ninth. She is probably best known for considering - and then deciding against - running for the party co-leadership after Shaw was briefly ousted. She was also stripped of her COVID-19 spokesperson role after breaching the pandemic rules.
Julie Anne Genter is at number five, Teanau Tuiono is at number six, and Ricardo Menéndez March is at seventh.
At eighth is Hūhana Lyndon, the Ngātiwai Trust Board chief executive who was announced as the party's candidate in Te Tai Tokerau earlier this year.
She's sitting ahead of current MP Golriz Ghahraman, who is at number nine on the initial list. Ghahraman is currently ranked seventh, meaning it would be a fall in the rankings despite two MPs currently ahead of her - Jan Logie and Eugenie Sage - not standing for re-election.
Fa'anānā Efeso Collins, the former Auckland Councillor, is at number 12 on the initial list. After losing the Auckland mayoralty race to Wayne Brown last year, it was reported that Collins was looking to stand for the Greens.
On the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll in late January, the Greens were on 8.1 percent, giving them 10 seats in the House.
Shaw said the 2023 general election would be one of the most consequential in decades.
"With more Green MPs, we can set the direction of the next Government and take faster climate action, protect nature, and rebalance wealth so everyone has what they need to provide for their family," said Shaw.
"Since we first entered government five years ago, the Green Party has delivered change for people and the planet. I am proud of everything our MPs have achieved, but we all know the pace of change has been too slow
"Now more than ever, Aotearoa needs a Government that will take bold action to build a cleaner, fairer climate-friendly future where everyone can afford a warm home and food on the table."
Davidson said she was proud of heading into the election with an "outstanding group of candidates".
"The more MPs we get elected, the stronger our voice will be, and the more we can do to protect the climate, restore nature, and build an Aotearoa that works for everyone," she said.
"The Green Party is a Te Tiriti-based political party and I'm proud to see this reflected so clearly in our initial list. Such a strong Māori voice will help us to make sure that the next government does more to uphold the Crown's promise to guarantee tino rangatiratanga of tangata whenua over their whenua, kainga and taonga katoa."
She said she had worked with many of the candidates in Parliament, but also welcomes "the fresh voices who will bring even bigger, bolder and more diverse ideas to the table."
The Green Party’s initial list for the 2023 election is:
Marama Davidson
James Shaw
Chlöe Swarbrick
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere
Julie Anne Genter
Teanau Tuiono
Ricardo Menéndez March
Hūhana Lyndon
Golriz Ghahraman
Lan Pham
Steve Abel
Fa'anānā Efeso Collins
Darleen Tana
Kahurangi Carter
Lawrence Xu-Nan
Benjamin Doyle
Francisco Hernandez
Scott Willis
Stephanie Rodgers
Suveen Sanis Walgampola
Gina Dao-McLay
Celia Wade-Brown
Reina Tuai Penney
Mike Davidson
Dave Kennedy
Nick Ratcliffe
Rochelle Francis
Sapna Samant
Dr Alec McNeil
Richard Wesley
Neelu Jennings
Kair Lippiatt
