The 16 MPs (likely) voted out of Parliament

Even as Parliament looks likely to grow to 131 MPs, several who have been there for the last term have been saying goodbye this week.Because they were involuntarily ejected by voters, these 16 departing MPs probably won't get the chance to deliver valedictory speeches - so this will have to do for now.NationalNicola Willis, the deputy leader and finance minister who also championed National's economic growth and social investment strategies, is the highest-profile exit, and one of National's hardest-working and most effective ministers.She had worked as a staffer for both John Key and Bill English, and built a reputation as a fierce debater, going on to be a general manager at Fonterra and a director at the New Zealand Initiative, before returning to Parliament as an MP in 2018 on National's list, after the resignation of Steven Joyce.After previously attempting campaigns in traditionally left-leaning Wellington electorates - against Grant Robertson in Wellington Central in 2017 and 2020, and Ōhāriu's Greg O'Connor in 2023 - she chose not to contest an electorate this time, ending up a victim of National's overhang.Paul Goldsmith and Nicola Willis were key members of Christopher Luxon's cabinet.Fiona Goodall/Getty ImagesAt third on the list, Chris Bishop is another victim of National's electorate success, after conceding Hutt South to Labour's Ginny Andersen on election night and acknowledging his chances of returning in the final count were "extremely unlikely".A former lobbyist for Philip Morris, and staffer for Gerry Brownlee and Steven Joyce, Bishop entered Parliament in 2014 on National's list, claimed Hutt South in 2017 after the departure of Labour's Trevor Mallard, who he'd previously worked for, and lost it to Andersen in the 2020 'red wave' election, before winning it back in 2023.Another of National's hard-working front bench, Bishop has led National's revision and replacement of Labour's Resource Management Act reforms, housing, infrastructure and transport, and became Attorney-General this year, while losing his role as National campaign chair in April, after rumours of an attempted leadership spill.With National's low polling in 2026, Paul Goldsmith shifted from the one-tick strategy he'd run in Epsom against a succession of ACT leaders since 2011 to an explicit two-tick campaign against David Seymour, but appears to have fallen short, winning 30.5 percent of electorate votes on the night, compared to Seymour's 36.8.A historian, biographer, pianist and taekwondo black belt, the trusted Luxon loyalist ended up with 10 portfolios (with GCSB and NZSIS being one combined role) - believed to be the most held by a minister this century - after Chris Penk's August attempt to topple the leader and sudden exit.After being an Auckland councillor criticised for attempts to have homeless people removed from the CBD, he went on to become a National minister under John Key, had a stint as finance spokesperson under Judith Collins, and under Luxon, has led broadcasting, electoral and justice changes, including the move-on orders and removal of same-day voter enrolment.Gerry Brownlee leaves Parliament as the father of the House - the longest continuously serving male MP - and Parliament's Speaker.Gerry Brownlee leaves Parliament as father of the House.VNP / Phil SmithHe became MP for Ilam in the first MMP election of 1996, after unsuccessfully challenging Jim Anderton in '93, holding the seat until the red wave of 2020. He was deputy leader under both Don Brash and Judith Collins, and was a Leader of the House, defence minister, foreign minister, transport minister and led the response to the Canterbury earthquakes under Key.His past life as a woodwork teacher stood him in good stead in the Speaker's chair, but whether his family's Olympic rowing history had much impact is unclear.Nancy Lu was National's highest-ranked new MP in 2023, after Andrew Bayly's by-election win in Port Waikato saw him move to an electorate seat, freeing up a spot for a list seat.Born in Guangzhou, China, she moved to Auckland at age 10 and became a chartered accountant, before becoming the party's only Chinese-heritage candidate in 2020.Melissa Lee was the first Korean elected to Parliament - and the first Korean-born woman to enter a country's Parliament outside Korea - when she came in on National's list in 2008. She came close to unseating Labour's Helen White from Mt Albert in 2023, falling short by just 18 votes in a judicial recount.After being a journalist for 23 years, including writing for the NZ Herald and the Listener, she was replaced as media and communications minister, and dumped out of Cabinet in Luxon's first reshuffle in 2024.Carlos Cheung will hope special votes tip his way in Mt Roskill, with just 262 votes separating him and Michael Wood, who was dumped from cabinet in 2023 for repeatedly failing to declare shares and lost the previously safe Labour seat, as the red tide swept back out.Cheung was born in Hong Kong and moved to New Zealand as a teenager, he has a PhD in diabetes and cardiac disease, and made it a point of pride to visit every junior, intermediate, secondary and special school in his electorate.Vanessa Weenink had probably the most explosive comments of any departing MP, saying she would not miss the abuse from members of the public and expressing frustration at National's rightward shift.A general practitioner for 20 years and an army medical officer for 22 - including deployments to Afghanistan and East Timor - Weenink was a Labour member, until the NZ Medical Association she chaired was disestablished in 2022, after which she joined National, narrowly taking Banks Peninsula in '23, before losing it again to Labour's Tracey McLellan.Vanessa Weenink switched allegiances to National, after the Labour government disestablished her NZ Medical Association.VNP/Phil SmithLabourDeborah Russell was first elected in 2017, as MP for New Lynn, replacing former leader David Cunliffe, but after two terms, had to return on the list in 2023, after losing to Paulo Garcia.An academic with a PhD in philosophy and co-writer of a book on tax fairness, she was minister of statistics and the Earthquake Commission under Chris Hipkins, and occasionally landed in hot water for expressing tax views out of line with the party's.Rachel Boyack was an organiser for First Union, before reclaiming the Nelson electorate in the 2020 red wave from National's Nick Smith, who had held the seat since 1996, and narrowly held it in '23 by just 26 votes against National's Blair Cameron, before losing it to him by more than 1200 votes this election.Her Plain Language Bill that aimed to make government documents easier to understand was reversed by the National-led coalition last term.Dan Rosewarne was an army mechanic, who attained the rank of captain - with two deployments to Afghanistan, one to Solomon Islands and one responding to the Kaikōura earthquake - and survived leukaemia, before entering Parliament in 2022 on the list, after Kris Faafoi's retirement.He was ejected again, after losing Waimakariri to National's Matt Doocey in '23, but returned to Parliament briefly this year, after the resignation of Peeni Henare in March.Georgie Dansey entered Parliament on Labour's list, after Adrian Rurawhe's resignation in February, before the former Speaker's death in September.Georgie Dansey's stay in Parliament may be brief, unless special votes save her seat.VNP / Phil SmithShe had lost the Hamilton West by-election, caused by Gaurav Sharma's resignation, to National's Tama Potaka in 2022, and fell short in Hamilton East in '23 and '26, but with just 456 votes separating her and incumbent Ryan Hamilton, she'll hope special votes land in her favour.GreenAt 19th on the Greens list in 2023, Mike Davidson never really expected to be an MP, but entered in October 2025, after the resignation of Benjamin Doyle capped off a now well-traversed string of MP replacements for the party in the last term.A former Christchurch City Councillor who advocated for cycleways and public transport, his 2026 list placing at 20th means a return to Parliament seems very unlikely - almost as unlikely as the first time.NZ FirstJamie Arbuckle controversially stayed on as a Marlborough district councillor - a role he'd held since 2010 - after coming to Parliament on New Zealand First's list in 2023.He's 13th on the list - so, next in line - after placing behind rising stars Craig Stobo and Taine Randall, and former National MPs like Alfred Ngaro, Harete Hipango-Brownlie and Michael Laws. He could yet return, if Laws is eventually dumped and the party doesn't lose support in special votes.IndependentsMariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris were both removed from Te Pāti Māori during its internal ructions a year ago.Kapa-Kingi - who had helped develop iwi health services, and worked in homelessness and suicide prevention - had defeated Labour deputy Kelvin Davis and was later re-instated to Te Pāti Māori, after a court battle.Mariameno Kapa-Kingi's term was tumultuous, after she was banished from and then re-instated to Te Pāti Māori.RNZ / Samuel RillstoneHowever, she ultimately stood under the banner of her own Te Tai Tokerau party for the election, losing to Te Pāti Māori's Aperahama Edwards.Ferris - nicknamed 'Doc' (Tākuta means 'doctor', he was named for the man who saved his and his mother's life during a difficult birth) never sought a court battle to return to the fold and ran as an independent this year.An expert in Māori art and design, and mātauranga Māori, he was considered an outside chance to defeat Labour's Rino Tirikatene, who had beat him in 2020, but won in 2023 with a 2800-vote margin, after a campaign where he went toe to toe with the likes of Winston Peters and David Seymour in The Press leaders debate.Pre-election exitsLest we forget, some honourable mentions for the MPs that chose to leave on their own terms, resigning within the final six months, so as to not trigger by-elections.They include, from National, Judith Collins, Chris Penk, Andrew Bayly, Maureen Pugh, Shane Reti and Paulo Garcia; from Labour, Duncan Webb and Greg O'Connor; and from ACT, Brooke van Velden and Mark Cameron.