With the conclusion of the election count, Christopher Luxon, the prime minister-elect, has turned his sights on forming a strong and stable government. Luxon, who is set to devote his full attention to coalition negotiations with Winston Peters, relayed his intent to the media soon after the final results crystallized.
With the erasure of National’s one-seat majority with Act resulting from the final vote count, Winston Peters and NZ First were thrust into the pivotal role of kingmakers. Despite the ensuing task of coalition negotiations needing extra time – potentially extending beyond the Apec event slated for mid-November – Luxon remained positive, expressing his commitment to work with both parties to establish a formidable government.
Simultaneously, NZ First leader Winston Peters stressed the urgency of the negotiations. Advocating for National, Act, and NZ First to convene jointly instead of having isolated discussions, Peters remained confident in the expediting of the process, given his extensive negotiation experience.
Act leader, David Seymour, also expressed a steadfast hope for the finalized government formation to be executed within the week.
In a significant election highlight, Te Pāti Māori achieved a remarkable feat, capturing an additional two Māori electorate seats from Labour. Meanwhile, National expressed its support for a recount in the Auckland Labour stronghold of Mt Albert.
In the final election tally, Christopher Luxon found himself three votes shy of the 62 required for a majority. Therefore, negotiation with Winston Peters of NZ First became crucial to form a coalition government. Meanwhile, despite Labour deputy leader Kelvin Davis losing his seat, Te Pāti Māori celebrated a record victory in constituencies.
Nevertheless, Christopher Luxon and his negotiating partners are now in the thick of forming the next government. Despite promises of post-count clarity, Luxon maintains his approach of “doing things differently.”
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