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New Zealand First MP Dail Jones has been dropped to 14th place on his party's list in an apparent punishment for his role in the Owen Glenn-donation scandal.
NZ First announced its list today, which put Mr Jones below the party's six other sitting MPs - who hold the top spots - and seven others.
Ranked 10 on the party's 2005 list, Mr Jones returned to Parliament last year when the late Brian Donnelly retired and the two candidates above him decided not to enter Parliament.
His dumping down the list appears to be punishment for landing his leader Winston Peters in hot water over funding issues.
As speculation grew in February that expatriate billionaire Labour supporter Owen Glenn may have donated to NZ First, Mr Jones told reporters the party had received a large anonymous donation - of close to $100,000 - late last year.
The comments ignited a firestorm of speculation the donation had come from Mr Glenn and led to Mr Peters holding a press conference where he held up a sign saying "No" to questions of whether he or his party had ever received money from the shipping magnate.
Mr Jones said he did not think that was the reason.
"What I said was true. That money had to be disclosed to the Electoral Commission and it's now been disclosed, somewhat reluctantly," he told One News.
"If my advice had been followed from day one, none of the mess we've been involved in would have taken place."
Mr Jones did not say whether he knew why he had been dropped to such a low position on the list.
Mr Peters said he didn't have a role in the selection process.
"The party is beginning to rejuvenate itself for 2011," he said.
After Mr Jones commented on the donation it was revealed Mr Glenn gave $100,000 towards Mr Peters legal costs in his failed 2005 Tauranga electoral petition, leading to Parliament censuring Mr Peters for failing to declare it.
The issue also opened up a can of worms regarding the party's funding which ended with Mr Peters admitting after weeks of denials that the party had breached electoral laws in 2005, 2006 and 2007 by failing to declare donations from the secretive Spencer Trust.
Mr Jones was president for most of that time, but said he had no knowledge of the Spencer Trust.
The NZ First list predictably has Mr Peters at the top followed by deputy leader Peter Brown, Ron Mark, Doug Woolerton, Barbara Stewart and Pita Paraone rounding out the top six.
If NZ First makes the 5 per cent threshold those six will return to Parliament.
However an average of recent polls puts NZ First on just 2.9 per cent support, meaning Mr Peters would have to win back Tauranga for any of the party's MPs to return to Parliament.
- NZPA
