National releases list of candidates

Epsom candidate Paul Goldsmith is ranked at 30 - nine slots above his 2011 ranking. Photo / New Zealand Herald / Mark Mitchell

National has sent a clear signal it will do a deal in the Ohariu and Epsom electorates by ranking its candidates in those electorates in high list places.

The highest ranked non-MP is Brett Hudson, National's new candidate in Ohariu. Ohariu is currently held by United Future leader Peter Dunne, one of the National Government's support partners.

Prime Minister John Key is expected to announce next week whether he will guide National voters in Ohariu and Epsom to give their electorate votes to Mr Dunne and Act's David Seymour in those electorates to try to ensure National has support partner options.

Mr Hudson is the only non-MP who is ranked above some sitting MPs, at 39th place on the list and on current polling is a certainty to get into Parliament.

Epsom candidate Paul Goldsmith is ranked at 30 - nine slots above his 2011 ranking.

Mr Key is also expected to decide whether to cut a similar deal in East Coast Bays.

Announcing the list, Peter Goodfellow said most MPs and ministers were ranked in similar order to their caucus rankings.

Mr McCully is at 11th. However a deal in East Coast Bays is a more complex situation and could require National to withdraw Mr McCully as a candidate altogether - something it has been reluctant to do in the past.

Mr Goodfellow said the number of retiring MPs meant National was likely to be able to bring in about 13 new faces if it achieved the same result as the 2011 election.

Other new candidates with high list placings include Parmjeet Parmar who is the highest ranked new candidate after Mr Hudson at 48.

Hutt South candidate Chris Bishop is at 49 and is also likely to make it into Parliament on the list if National holds all its current 42 electorates and gets a similar result to the 47 per cent it got in 2011.

Mr Bishop is a former ministerial advisor and also worked in the tobacco industry before putting his name forward as a candidate.

Port Hills candidate Nuk Korako and Palmerston North candidate Jono Naylor are next in line at 50 and 51 respectively.

The ten newcomers standing in electorates National currently holds are ranked in order from slots 54 to 63, making them unlikely to get in on the list and sending a signal National expects them to hold their electorates.

They are Todd Barclay (Clutha Southland) Andrew Bayly (Hunua), Matt Doocey (Waimakariri), Sarah Dowie (Invercargill), Barbara Kuriger (Taranaki-King Country), Todd Muller (Bay of Plenty), Shane Reti (Whangarei), Alastair Scott (Wairarapa), Stuart Smith (Kaikoura) and Wayne Walford (Napier). Most are safe National seats although Napier and Waimakariri are considered marginal.

National expects most of its candidates to contest an electorate, but usually reserves up to five winnable slots for list only MPs.

These go to Bill English (2), Speaker David Carter (3), Steven Joyce (5) and National's Chinese List MP Jian Yang (33).

Mr Goodfellow said the list was a strong mix of experience and new talent.

"Settling on a list that balances new blood alongside valuable experience was not an easy task. However we believe we've struck the right mix that will allow for renewal and continued stability in a third term."

Last week the party's Kelston candidate Claudette Hauiti announced she would not stand again after she was told she would not get a high list placing.

That followed revelations of misspending on her Parliamentary charge card.

National is yet to select another candidate for Kelston - the list has the party's Kelston candidate ranked at 68 of 75.

The Full List

1 John Key - Helensville
2 Bill English - List
3 David Carter - List
4 Gerry Brownlee - Ilam
5 Steven Joyce - List
6 Judith Collins - Papakura
7 Hekia Parata - Mana
8 Chris Finlayson - Rongotai
9 Paula Bennett - Upper Harbour
10 Jonathan Coleman - Northcote
11 Murray McCully - East Coast Bays
12 Anne Tolley - East Coast
13 Nick Smith - Nelson
14 Tim Groser - New Lynn
15 Amy Adams - Selwyn
16 Nathan Guy - Otaki
17 Craig Foss - Tukituki
18 Simon Bridges - Tauranga
19 Nikki Kaye - Auckland Central
20 Michael Woodhouse - Dunedin North
21 Jo Goodhew - Rangitata
22 Chester Borrows - Whanganui
23 Todd McClay - Rotorua
24 Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga - Maungakiekie
25 Nicky Wagner - Christchurch Central
26 Lindsay Tisch - Waikato
27 Louise Upston - Taupo
28 Tim Macindoe - Hamilton West
29 Jami-Lee Ross - Botany
30 Paul Goldsmith - Epsom
31 Melissa Lee - Mt Albert
32 Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi - Manukau East
33 Jian Yang - List
34 Alfred Ngaro - Te Atatu
35 Maurice Williamson - Pakuranga
36 Jacqui Dean - Waitaki
37 David Bennett - Hamilton East
38 Jonathan Young - New Plymouth
39 Brett Hudson - Ohariu
40 Maggie Barry - North Shore
41 Ian McKelvie - Rangitikei
42 Mark Mitchell - Rodney
43 Simon O'Connor - Tamaki
44 Mike Sabin - Northland
45 Scott Simpson - Coromandel
46 Paul Foster-Bell - Wellington Central
47 Joanne Hayes - Christchurch East
48 Parmjeet Parmar - Mt Roskill
49 Chris Bishop - Hutt South
50 Nuk Korako - Port Hills
51 Jono Naylor - Palmerston North
52 Maureen Pugh - West Coast - Tasman
53 Misa Fia Turner - Mangere
54 Todd Barclay - Clutha-Southland
55 Andrew Bayly - Hunua
56 Matt Doocey - Waimakariri
57 Sarah Dowie - Invercargill
58 Barbara Kuriger - Taranaki-King Country
59 Todd Muller - Bay of Plenty
60 Shane Reti - Whangarei
61 Alastair Scott - Wairarapa
62 Stuart Smith - Kaikoura
63 Wayne Walford - Napier
64 Simeon Brown - Manurewa
65 Hamish Walker - Dunedin South
66 Lewis Holden - Rimutaka
67 Karl Varley - Wigram
68 Candidate TBA - Kelston
69 Linda Cooper - List
70 Letitia O'Dwyer - List
71 Mark Bridges - List
72 Boris Sokratov - List
73 Matthew Evetts - List
74 Carolyn O'Fallon - List
75 Christopher Penk - List