The Labour Party has revealed its list for the 2023 election, with big promotions for new ministers and a huge demotion for former minister Phil Twyford.
Twyford, who was ranked number four in 2020, has fallen to 49th on the new list. But he holds the safe Labour seat of Te Atatū so is unlikely to need the list to return to Parliament.
Another former minister, Michael Wood, has also dropped from 23 to 45. But he also holds a safe Labour seat, Mt Roskill.
The big promotions have come for the new ministers, including Willow-Jean Prime (from 36 to 9), Barbara Edmonds (49 to 18), Ginny Andersen (45 to 17) and Jan Tinetti (32 to 6). The list rankings normally reflect Cabinet rankings, so their promotion into Cabinet always meant they were likely to receive good positions.
A number of Labour MPs in marginal seats - like Anna Lorck in Tukituki (40), Sarah Pallett in Ilam (50) and Terisa Ngobi in Ōtaki (46) - have less safe list positions, putting pressure on them to re-win their seats.
Other MPs in potentially risky positions include Rachel Boyack in Nelson (42) and current list MPs Angie Warren-Clark (43) and Liz Craig (44).
With Labour polling in the low-to-mid 30s, it is likely going to lose a large number of MPs at the election, having brought in so many at 2020. The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll in May showed Labour would bring in 46 seats in October, fewer than the 65 it got in 2020.
Lemauga Lydia Sosene is the lowest-ranked current MP at 53. She is the candidate for Māngere, a historically very safe Labour seat.
Ingrid Leary is the second lowest-ranked current MP at 52, but she is also likely to return as she holds the safe Labour seat of Taieri.
Prime's promotion will almost certainly mean she returns to Parliament. She currently holds the most marginal seat of Northland. Priyanca Radhakrishnan who is ranked at 15 also holds the very marginal seat of Maungakiekie.
The highest-ranked candidate who isn't currently an MP is Georgie Dansey at 31. She ran for Labour in the Hamilton West by-election last year, but lost to National's Tama Potaka. Other new candidates ranked higher than current MPs include Toni Boynton at 39 and George Hampton at 41.
Labour President Jill Day said the new list shows Labour strengthening its existing team.
"Labour has a positive plan for the future - cutting inflation, bringing down the cost of living, keeping people and communities safe, and investing in education, health and housing," she said.
"The team we are putting forward today will help make that happen. Our list reflects the enormous talent within our existing caucus, as well as the diversity of New Zealanders from right around the country."
She said the existing Cabinet, whips and office holders have been ranked broadly in caucus order.
"We have then boosted the wider team with new talent from a range of different backgrounds including small business owners, lawyers, a senior diplomat, local government leaders and leaders in Te Ao Māori," Day said.
"With the right leadership and the right team, we can make it easier for Kiwi families to get ahead and make sure that everyone in New Zealand has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
"There’s so much at stake in this election. Christopher Luxon and National’s plan for expensive tax cuts for the very wealthy will make inflation worse and push up the cost of living."
Labour's full list:
- Chris Hipkins
- Kelvin Davis
- Carmel Sepuloni
- Grant Robertson
- Megan Woods
- Jan Tinetti
- Ayesha Verrall
- Willie Jackson
- Willow-Jean Prime
- Damien O'Connor
- Adrian Rurawhe
- Andrew Little
- David Parker
- Peeni Henare
- Priyanca Radhakrishnan
- Kieran McAnulty
- Ginny Andersen
- Barbara Edmonds
- Jo Luxton
- Duncan Webb
- Rino Tirikatene
- Deborah Russell
- Rachel Brooking
- Jenny Salesa
- Tangi Utikere
- Camilla Belich
- Tracey McLellan
- Shanan Halbert
- Glen Bennett
- Vanushi Walters
- Georgie Dansey
- Dan Rosewarne
- Naisi Chen
- Anahila Kanongata'a
- Angela Roberts
- Tāmati Coffey
- Ibrahim Omer
- Neru Leavasa
- Toni Boynton
- Anna Lorck
- George Hampton
- Rachel Boyack
- Angie Warren-Clark
- Liz Craig
- Michael Wood
- Terisa Ngobi
- Helen White
- Arena Williams
- Phil Twyford
- Steph Lewis
- Sarah Pallett
- Ingrid Leary
- Lemauga Lydia Sosene
- Parewhati Taikato
- Estefania Muller-Pallarès
- Fleur Fitzsimons
- Reuben Davidson
- Nick Ruane
- Fesaitu Solomone
- Mark Hutchinson
- Nerissa Henry
- Myra Williamson
- Oscar Sims
- Aladdin Al-Bustanji
- Gwendoline Keel
- Kharag Singh
- Emma Dewhirst
- Zulfiqar Butt
- Ben Sandford
- Simon McCullum
- Guy Wishart
- Deborah Rhodes
- Jamie Toko
- Luke Jones
- Beryl Riley
- Ethan Reille
It comes after Labour announced on Sunday that Tāmati Coffey was unresigning and would stand in the East Coast electorate at the October election.
The Labour candidacy for the electorate became vacant last week after Kiri Allan said she wouldn't be standing for re-election. That followed her being charged with careless use of a motor vehicle and refusing to accompany a police officer.
Nanaia Mahuta, the current Foreign Affairs Minister, last month announced she wouldn't be seeking a position on the list and would run as an electorate-only candidate in the Hauraki-Waikato seat which she currently holds.
Her colleague Soraya Peke-Mason, who is standing in the Te Tai Hauaura seat, is also going electorate-only as she faces competition from Te Pāti Māori's Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and National's Harete Hipango. The electorate's current MP and Parliament's Speaker Adrian Rurawhe is going list-only.
A number of Labour MPs had already announced they would be resigning at the election, including former ministers Poto Williams, David Clark and Aupito William Sio. Other MPs leaving Parliament include Marja Lubeck, Paul Eagle, Emily Henderson and Jamie Strange.
Former Police Minister Stuart Nash is also not standing, a decision he made after he was sacked as a minister this year for leaking confidential Cabinet information.
Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stood down from Parliament in April.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced earlier this year that he wouldn't be running in Wellington Central, the seat he currently holds, and would go list-only.
Others running electorate-only include Greg O'Connor in Ohariu.
