On the basis of the latest ONE News Colmar Brunton poll, National would take 18 more MPs to parliament and National's just-released party list gives a clue as to who they might be.
National has named 73 election candidates, bringing seven new
faces into the top 50 on its list.
The lists that each party draws up for the election determine which
candidates get into Parliament based on the percentage of the party
vote, regardless of whether they win electorate seats.
Daily life will soon change for Auckland City Councillor Sam Lotu-Liga, National's candidate for Maungakiekie.
National would have to crash badly for him to miss out on parliament, now that he's ranked 35th on the party list.
"I'm honoured to be in a relatively high list position. I think there's a lot of work between now and election day," he says.
The propulsion of the Samoan-born candidate above many sitting MPs is a move to sell National as more ethnically diverse. a move signalled by National leader John Key at Ratana celebrations in January.
"When you finally see our list I have made it clear I want to build greater ethnic diversity on the list in 2008," Key said.
That promise came as the National leader promised more Maori representation in his election line up. National has four in its top 50, two more than in 2005.
That has seen Hekia Parata take 36 on the list as National candidate for Mana. In 2005 she spoke out against National after then leader Don Brash's Orewa speech. Now she's back and back on message.
"I'm really captivated about the vision that John Key has articulated for New Zealand. I think he birngs a passion and a drive to it that I find really compelling," says Parata.
National may be claiming it's more diverse but it's powerful top 10 at the last election contains a number of the same faces as the top 10 announced on Sunday. The claim though is that the party is changing.
"There's a generation change happening within the party, also a diversity change which I am encouraging," says Judy Kirk, National Party president.
That change will likely see city councilor Lotu-Liga take the
leap from local to National politics.
National's 43 MPs who are standing again - five caucus members are
retiring - are all safely in the top 50.
The top ranked newcomer is the party's former campaign and general
manager, Steven Joyce, who is at 16. He is a list only candidate
and will not contest an electorate.
Other new faces are list only candidate Melissa Lee at 37, Kanwal
Bakshi at 38 who is the candidate for Manukau East, Paul Quinn at
48 who will stand in Hutt South and Michael Woodhouse at 49 who
will contest Dunedin North.
If National breaks the 60-seat barrier, two former MPs from
different parties will be on the cusp.
Former ACT MP Stephen Franks, National's candidate for Wellington Central, is ranked at 60 on the list and former United Future MP Marc Alexander, who is standing in Wigram, is at 61.
