Labour announces their party list for the election
Former Transport Minister Michael Wood has been dealt a humiliating blow in Labour’s election list, plunging to his lowest ranking since 2008.
Wood is Labour’s candidate for the safe seat of Mt Roskill, meaning he will certainly return to Parliament after the election.
But his ranking on Labour’s list at 45 is his lowest since 2008 - and likely reflects the party’s frustration at his avoidable implosion this year over a failure to declare his shareholdings.
In 2020, Wood was ranked 23, in 2017, he ranked 27, in 2014 he ranked 39, and in 2011 he ranked 32.
Wood declined to be interviewed but provided a short statement, in which he said he was pleased to see a “talented and diverse mix of experience” on the list.
“For my part I have always relied on the support of my Mt Roskill electorate to serve in Parliament and campaigning hard there to win the seat again and be a voice for Mt Roskill in the next Labour government will be my focus.”
Former Cabinet minister Phil Twyford is also one of today’s big losers, tumbling down the party list, although he too has a safe electorate in Te Atatū so should return.
Former Transport Minister Michael Wood has plummeted on Labour's list. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Some MPs in peril based on current polling
Prime Minister and party leader Chris Hipkins unveiled Labour’s list today, alongside Labour Party president Jill Day.
On its most recent poll result of 33 per cent, Labour would have 43 seats – if that was the election night result, the list ranking would leave a screed of newer MPs fighting to hold marginal seats to get back into Parliament.
Those around the cut-off for the list, depending on how many of those marginal seats Labour can hold, include Naisi Chen, Anahila Kanongata’a, Angela Roberts and Tamati Coffey, who was last night selected for the East Coast electorate to replace Kiri Allan.
Ibrahim Omer is also at risk unless he holds Wellington Central, a usually safe Labour seat but more vulnerable since Grant Robertson opted for the list.
Other than Omer, all of those are unlikely to win an electorate, although Coffey has a slight chance.
Below that, is a string of MPs who will almost certainly have to try to hold the seat they won from National MPs last election: Anna Lorck (40) will almost certainly have to hold Tukituki, and Angie Warren-Clark (43) to try to win Whangārei after taking over the candidacy from outgoing MP Emily Henderson.
Lorck told the Herald she was a “local MP to the core” and would be working hard to repeat her 2020 victory in the Hastings electorate.
“The list placing will be determined as it is, but my focus is on the seat.”
She said she received a call from senior Labour member and Deputy PM Carmel Sepuloni to inform her of her list ranking. The conversation was short as Lorck was out door-knocking.
New MP Terisa Ngobi will need to hold Ōtaki, Steph Lewis to hold Whanganui and Sarah Pallett will have the difficult job of holding the previously safe National seat of Ilam. Ingrid Leary will also have to hold on to Taieri, but that is a much safer Labour seat.
Cabinet minister Nanaia Mahuta has opted not to go on the list but has held the Hauraki-Waikato seat since 2008.
Current MPs Greg O’Connor and Soraya Peke-Mason are also not on the list. O’Connor confirmed this yesterday to the Herald, saying it’s “all or nothing” in his contest with National deputy leader Nicola Willis for the Ōhāriu electorate, which he won by 12,000 votes in 2020, but without a challenge from Willis who previously stood in Wellington Central.
Peke-Mason, who entered Parliament on the list after former Speaker Trevor Mallard resigned, faced a tough battle with Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer in the Te Tai Hauāuru seat. Labour won it in 2020 with Adrian Rurawhe but his current role as Speaker has influenced his decision to go list-only.
Labour’s Ikaroa-Rāwhiti candidate Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, who replaced Meka Whaitiri when she left Labour for Te Pāti Māori, did not appear on the list because she hadn’t been with the party long enough.
Prime Minister and Labour leader Chris Hipkins alongside Labour president Jill Day as they announce the party's list for the upcoming election. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Hipkins said there was an “abundance” of talented people and they had more people putting their hands up than they had spots for.
He said it would be “incorrect” to assume some MPs would not return and was confident the party vote share would increase from its current polling.
“Heaps,” said Hipkins when asked how many MPs he hoped to get.
He deferred when asked to speculate on MPs that might not get back in.
The buffetings of Labour MPs in recent months were reflected in the list as those who have replaced the string of former ministers such as Stuart Nash, Michael Wood and Kiri Allan are rewarded.
The winners include Willow-Jean Prime who has been promoted higher than her ministerial ranking to 9 and will be safe if she loses the Northland seat.
She is now the top-ranked Māori woman, a position which would have gone to Mahuta had she not opted against going on the list or to Kiri Allan had she not resigned.
Among the safest of the new intake of 2020 MPs include Camilla Belich who has no chance of winning the Epsom electorate, dominated by Act leader David Seymour, and Vanushi Walters, who is contesting Upper Harbour.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan has also secured a safe spot, making it less vital for her to hold the swing Maungakiekie electorate. Ginny Andersen is also now high enough to be safe if she loses Hutt South, contested by National’s Chris Bishop.
Hipkins is ranked at number 1 and most ministers were ranked according to their cabinet rankings so all should easily return to Parliament.
Of the new faces, Georgie Dansey got the highest ranking - a reward for stepping up to contest the Hamilton West byelection after Gaurav Sharma was ejected from the party. She will contest the Hamilton East electorate this time.
Dansey, who lost last year’s byelection to National’s Tama Potaka, said she was “honoured and humbled” to be ranked 31st on the list.
“We’ve got so many super strong candidates, so I was just so stoked and feel very privileged to be where I am.”
She suspected her participation in the byelection would have been a contributing factor to her high list placing, something Hipkins acknowledged earlier today.
Dansey said her continued focus was winning Hamilton East but the higher chance of her getting into Parliament on the list would give her team motivation.
“Of course, this gives a real boost to our campaign and also ensures with current polling I will get in, so I hope that it shows we’ll have a Labour MP based in Hamilton.”
She didn’t think that would cause people to vote for others in the hope more Hamilton MPs made it to Parliament, instead saying it would encourage people to vote for her.
On Phil Twyford - who was ranked 4 in 2020 and now 49 - Hipkins said it simply reflected the fact he was no longer a Cabinet minister.
Asked about the list’s gender balance, Hipkins said he believed it would likely end up with more women than men.
One potential new MP is Toni Boynton, a Whakatāne District councillor who is running in the Māori electorate of Waiariki, and has been given the potentially winnable ranking of 39.
Tāmati Coffey convinced to remain with Labour
Today’s announcement comes as Tāmati Coffey u-turns on his earlier decision to leave politics as he replaces former minister Kiri Allan as Labour’s candidate in the East Coast electorate.
Allan herself announced last week she would not contest the electorate after an alcohol-influenced car crash and subsequent arrest led to her being stripped of her ministerial portfolios.
In March, Coffey said he would step away from politics following the birth of his second child by surrogacy with husband Tim Smith.
Tāmati Coffey (right) is taking over from Kiri Allan as Labour's candidate in the East Coast electorate. Photo / Andrew Warner
However, Coffey yesterday said in a statement that the “tragic events” of last week had changed things.
“The people of the East Coast need a strong, experienced MP who can hit the ground running and provide strong representation in Parliament.
“The East Coast has been through so much this year, and it needs an experienced champion in Parliament.
“At the start of this year, the region had two senior Labour MPs representing [it]. I’m here to finish what they started.
“This is an area I know well. As first the electorate and then the list MP based in the Waiariki region, I’m very aware that half of the Waiariki electorate overlaps half the East Coast electorate from Maketū to the East Cape.”
Coffey “proudly acknowledged” his whakapapa of his kuia, after being raised between Gisborne and Uawa/Tolaga Bay.
“Most importantly, whānau were my reason for stepping back, and it is my whānau who have given me the green light to stay in politics, challenge for the seat and to do my bit to support an area that I love that so needs a champion right now,” he said.
In 2020, Coffey lost the Waiariki electorate to Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi - the only Labour MP to lose a seat in that election.
Allan had won East Coast in 2020 with a majority of 6331 votes - it had earlier been held by former National MP Anne Tolley.
