National list revealed: Nakhle looks to electorate for return to Parliament

Luxon and Brown sit in the top four while Takanini, a seat that swings, decides Nakhle’s future

Prime Minister and Botany MP Christopher Luxon heads the National Party list released on Saturday, with Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown fourth and Takanini MP Rima Nakhle 45th.

National was “ruthlessly focused” on maximising its party vote, Luxon said at the announcement.

Luxon and Brown hold the two safest National seats in east Auckland, winning in 2023 by 16,323 and 18,710 votes respectively.

Brown is also running National’s campaign this year.

Takanini is the east Auckland seat to watch, with its northern boundary reaching into Flat Bush, Donegal Park and the growing Murphys Park area.

It has existed for only two elections but has been held by Labour and National for one term each.

Labour’s Anae Neru Leavasa won it in 2020, and Nakhle took it in 2023 with 21,936 votes to his 13,161, a majority of 8,775.

National led the electorate party vote 52.55 per cent to 27.90 per cent.

Leavasa is now Labour’s candidate in Botany.

Boundary changes have since reshaped the seat, with the National-voting suburb of Mission Heights removed from Nakhle’s electorate and added to Botany.

The Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll published on 7 August has National on 31 per cent and projects it 40 seats, against the 43 electorates it won at the last election.

On those numbers there is little room on the list for anyone, and Nakhle’s return rests on holding the seat.

Her social media shows her regularly out campaigning in the electorate, with recent door-knocking in Donegal Park.

She has also highlighted her party’s law and order record and its effect in Flat Bush.

“The amount of crime in Flat Bush has basically halved under National,” Nakhle said in a video posted to Facebook.

“That’s because we came in focusing on law and order and making our streets safer, for my neighbours in Takanini and everybody around New Zealand.”

“I’m really proud of the work that we’ve been doing as a National Party to make sure Flat Bush is safer.”

She sits on the Justice Committee, and her member’s bill barring the Crown from funding organisations run by or associated with gangs was drawn from the ballot in April.

“New Zealanders rightly expect public funds and taxpayer money to go towards supporting victims and trustworthy support programmes, not to the criminal gangs that bring fear and harm to our streets and our communities,” Nakhle said when the bill was drawn.

Labour’s candidate is business owner and Justice of the Peace Kharag Singh, who stood against Luxon in Botany in 2023.

Singh was deputy chair of Labour’s Takanini electorate committee and ran the party’s 2020 campaign in the seat.

Voters go to the polls on 7 November.

National Party 2026 List Rankings