The National Party has announced its list of candidates for the November general election.
Prime Minister John Key takes the number one spot and his deputy, Finance Minister Bill English, is at number two.
Speaker and Rodney MP Lockwood Smith has jumped from 12th position to third.
The two most notable movers are Social Development Minister and Waitakere MP Paula Bennett, up from number 41 to 14, and list MP Hekia Parata who is elevated from 36 to 18.
[image:2952:third:right]Ms Parata says she believe the move recognises her performance in Parliament and in her electorate of Mana.
Sitting MPs Tau Henare and Maurice Williamson have slipped down the ranks to 40 and 19 respectively, but are still in winnable spots based on current polling.
Mr Henare says he was annoyed when he first heard he had dropped significantly down the party's list.
He says he has taken it as a signal to work hard to win his local electorate seat in Te Atutu.
Party president Peter Goodfellow says priority has been given to the current leadership and Cabinet ministers.
"The list ... in those first two dozen really reflects the Cabinet rankings rather than the party's assessment.
"We're happy to reflect the leadership that the Cabinet actually has at those levels."
Mr Goodfellow says list MP Katrina Shanks, who is standing in Wellington's Ohariu electorate, has been placed at number 38.
Mr Goodfellow says that shows National's backing for the leader of its support partner United Future, Peter Dunne, who it wants to retain the Ohariu seat.
National's candidate in Epsom, Paul Goldsmith, takes 39th place after a deal with ACT in that seat.
The two newest list candidates high on the list are university lecturer Jian Yang, at 36, and pastor Alfred Ngaro at 37th place.
Of the 75 names on the list, 24 are women and Cabinet ministers Judith Collins and Anne Tolley are the only women to be named top ten.
Prime Minister John Key, says he has successfully pushed the party to develop a list that has more ethnic diversity, but he says he would like it to also feature more women in its ranks and in the Cabinet.
National Party list
1 John Key
2 Bill English
3 Lockwood Smith
4 Gerry Brownlee
5 Tony Ryall
6 Nick Smith
7 Judith Collins
8 Anne Tolley
9 Chris Finlayson
10 David Carter
11 Murray McCully
12 Tim Groser
13 Steven Joyce
14 Paula Bennett
15 Phil Heatley
16 Jonathan Coleman
17 Kate Wilkinson
18 Hekia Parata
19 Maurice Williamson
20 Nathan Guy
21 Craig Foss
22 Chris Tremain
23 Jo Goodhew
24 Lindsay Tisch
25 Eric Roy
26 Paul Hutchison
27 Shane Ardern
28 Amy Adams
29 Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
30 Simon Bridges
31 Michael Woodhouse
32 Chester Borrows
33 Nikki Kaye
34 Melissa Lee
35 Kanwaljit Bakshi
36 Jian Yang
37 Alfred Ngaro
38 Katrina Shanks
39 Paul Goldsmith
40 Tau Henare
41 Jacqui Dean
42 Nicky Wagner
43 Chris Auchinvole
44 Louise Upston
45 Jonathan Young
46 Jackie Blue
47 Todd McClay
48 Alan Peachey
49 David Bennett
50 Tim Macindoe
51 Cam Calder
52 John Hayes
53 Colin King
54 Aaron Gilmore
55 Jami-Lee Ross
56 Paul Quinn
57 Paul Foster-Bell
58 Maggie Barry
59 Ian McKelvie
60 Mark Mitchell
61 Mike Sabin
62 Scott Simpson
63 Claudette Hauiti
64 Joanne Hayes
65 Leonie Hapeta
66 Sam Collins
67 Jonathan Fletcher
68 Heather Tanner
69 Denise Krum
70 Carolyn O'Fallon
71 Viv Gurrey
72 Karen Rolleston
73 Brett Hudson
74 Linda Cooper
75 Karl Varley
