Two Green Party MPs could struggle to get back into Parliament in this year's election, according to a leaked list which showed they had plummeted in the party's rankings.
Greens said the list published on website Kiwiblog yesterday was a fake, while the website's founder and right-leaning blogger David Farrar claimed it was an early draft that had been circulated among some members.
A party spokesman said that no draft or official party list for the general election existed yet and the process of ranking MPs did not begin for another two weeks. An official list would still have to be drawn up by members and final rankings would be decided in April.
The list published on Kiwiblog showed a shakeup in the party's rankings in which MP Julie-Anne Genter was a clear winner.
The Auckland-based MP and transport spokeswoman, who entered Parliament in 2011 as Greens' 13th-placed MP, rose to 6th.
Ms Genter was confirmed as the party's Epsom candidate earlier this week.
If the official list reflected the leaked one, two male MPs would plunge in the rankings and possibly out of contention for a seat in Parliament.
Justice and commerce spokesman David Clendon would fall from 8th to 17th, the biggest fall out of any candidate.
Agriculture and GE spokesman Steffan Browning would fall from 10th to 16th.
Two candidates who are not in Parliament were given high placings in the Kiwiblog list.
Marama Davidson, a former Human Rights Commission adviser who represented Greens at the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election, was placed at 11.
Nelson-based Aaryn Barlow, a project manager at the Nelson Environment Centre, rose four places to 14.
James Shaw, who is considered a bright prospect for the party, remained at 15.
Greens currently have 14 MPs.
Leaked list:
1.Russel Norman (+1 from 2011)
2.Metiria Turei (-1)
3.Kevin Hague (nc)
4.Eugenie Sage (+2)
5.Catherine Delahunty (-1)
6.Julie Anne Genter (+7)
7.Gareth Hughes (nc)
8.Kennedy Graham (-3)
9.Denise Roche (+2)
10.Jan Logie (-1)
11.Marama Davidson (new)
12.Holly Walker (nc)
13.Mojo Mathers (+1)
14.Aaryn Barlow (+4)
15.James Shaw (nc)
16.Steffan Browning (-6)
17.David Clendon (-9)
18.Dora Langsbury (+4)
19.Barry Coates (new)
20.Sea Rotman (nc)