'Very likely I won't be back': Disappointed Willis concedes she's out of a job

National’s deputy leader has conceded she’ll be out of Parliament, saying she has “likely lost her job”. 

Several of the National Party’s most senior members are likely to be out of a job following the 2026 General Election, as 16 members from across the political spectrum face the boot. 

The biggest casualties of the night include the National Party’s deputy leader and Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith and Gerry Brownlee. 

Willis, ranked No 2 on the party list, was one of the most senior members of Parliament, working as Minister of Finance, Social Investment, Economic Growth, and the Public Service over the last term. 

She decided to run as a list-only candidate, requiring the party to maintain the party vote it received at the last General Election in 2023, which has not eventuated. 

National Finance Minister Nicola Willis responds to Labour’s fiscal plan. Photo / Dean Purcell 

Speaking to media following the result, Willis expressed “disappointment” that it is looking “very unlikely” she will be returning to Parliament. 

“The thing that’s always mattered most to me is that National can form a government and can keep governing the country, and it looks so far like that is still a possibility,” Willis said. 

“So I’m really pleased to see that for New Zealand. On the other hand it is looking very unlikely that I will be returning to Parliament, so that does come with some disappointment. 

“But at the same time, I really do feel immense gratitude for the opportunity I have had to serve as Minister of Finance in this Luxon government and to be an MP for eight years.” 

• Newstalk ZB's 2026 Election coverage - Result deemed 'too close to call'
• 'It's close': National's Mark Mitchell on the state of the election campaign
• Election 2026: Qiulae Wong says all options are 'on the table' as Opportunity sits above threshold
• Election 2026: 'Grateful' - Seymour stoked to be leading Epsom, says talks with Opportunity may be needed

Also likely out of Parliament is number three on the National Party list Chris Bishop. 

Bishop served several roles over the last term in Parliament, including as Attorney-General and Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, RMA Reform, Transport and Associate Minister of Finance. 

Bishop was not running solely on the party list, but instead running in the electorate of Hutt South, up against the Labour Party’s Ginny Anderson. 

Number six on the party list Paul Goldsmith joins them after failing to win an electorate seat in Epsom, in an attempt to unseat Act Party leader David Seymour. 

Goldsmith was the minister of for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Defence, the GCSB and NZSIS, Justice, Media and Communications, Pacific Peoples, Public Service and Digitising Government, Space, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and for Veterans. 

Goldsmith said he was feeling very nervous about the result, given everything was on a knife edge. 

He said he was sad that he could be facing the end of his political career. 

Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee is also looking a likely casualty as tonight’s results unfurl. 

This election is very likely to deliver an overhang, which is prompted if a political party wins more electorate seats than its share of the party vote entitles it to. 

If a party’s share of the party vote entitles it to more seats in Parliament than the number of seats won by that party’s electorate candidates, the shortfall is made up from candidates from the party’s list. 

However, with a party vote share smaller than the number of electorates won, no MPs would come in on the list. 

Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.