Marama Fox takes top spot, Te Ururoa Flavell at 2 on Maori Party list

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox will be No 1 on the party list for the election. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

Maori Party co-leader and list MP Marama Fox has been rewarded for establishing a high profile in her first term of Parliament by being made No 1 on the party list.

Co-leader and Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell, who was No 1 on the list last election, is No 2 on the list, released today.

He has been an MP since 2005, and became Minister of Maori Development in 2014 following the retirement of former co-leader Sir Pita Sharples.

The Maori Party has struck a confidence and supply agreement with National for the past three terms - although National has not needed the party's vote to form a Government.

Party president Tukoroirangi Morgan said that every day for the past three years Fox had "led, walked, talked and breathed the strong independent Maori voice that is the Maori Party".

"She has made sure that the Government and the nation doesn't forget, and are constantly reminded about the plight of some of our Maori people and why they need to take kaupapa Maori solutions more seriously."

He described Flavell as "the backbone of our party."

"He has been doing the business for us behind the scenes and at the table, securing hundreds of millions of dollars for kaupapa Maori and putting up the arguments for us with the relevant ministers when we disagree with them," Morgan said.

"The public doesn't see that but we do."

The order between the two co-leaders would not matter if Flavell retains his Waiariki seat at the September 23 election or if Fox won Ikaroa Rawhiti where she is challenging Labour's Meka Whaitiri.

However, if for example, the party lost Waiariki but picked up Te Tai Hauauru, as a recent Maori Television Reid Research poll suggested it would, then Fox would be first in from any list party entitlements from the Party Vote if she didn't win Ikaroa Rawhiti. Fox was No 2 last election.

Hauraki-Waikato candidate Rahui Papa is No 3 on the Maori Party list, Tamaki Makaurau candidate Shane Taurima is No 4, Te Tai Tonga candidate Mei Reedy-Taare is No 5 and Te Tai Hauauru candidate Howie Tamati is No 6.

The Maori Party is not standing in Te Tai Tonga as a part of a deal with Hone Harawira's Mana Movement, which is not standing in the other six Maori electorate seats.

1. Marama Fox
2. Te Ururoa Flavell
3. Rahui Papa
4. Shane Taurima
5. Mei Reedy-Taare
6. Howie Tamati
7. Hinurewa Te Hau
8. Tuilagi Saipele Esera
9. John Kiria
10. Te Waka McLeod
11. Carrie Stoddart-Smith
12. Manase Lua
13. Wetex Kang
14. Tasha Hohaia
15. Esther Tofilau-Tevaga
16. Tina Porou
17. George Ngatai
18. Cinnamon Whitlock
19. Raewyn Bhana
20. Ngarangi Chapman
21. Wendy Biddle
22. Maryanne Marsters
23. Karen Williams
24. Amiria Te Whiu
25. Mele Pepa
26. Tae Moala Tu'inukuafe