Election 2023

Chris Luxon has shot down ACT's wish for a Treaty referendum, but there's suggestions there could be a consolation prize. The Prime Minister-elect says it would be divisive and unhelpful. He's in negotiations with ACT and New Zealand First, who need to combine to govern. Former National Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says there is a case for looking at the Treaty of Waitangi Act. "Th...

Labour MPs are not expected to oppose Chris Hipkins staying as party leader when they meet tomorrow. It'll be the first catch up since Friday's full election result revealed who will stay and go. They'll discuss the campaign and the political road map for the next three years- and they'll also vote on Labour's leadership. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Hipkins is expected to win handsomely....

Once again, thanks to MMP, we're back in a state of suspension and waiting for the conclusion of coalition talks. Which for all the parties' claims- are barely progressing. And I think it's important for our collective sanity that we concentrate on what we know, rather than all the ifs, buts, maybes and reckons which we might imagine to be the case. What is it that we actually know? We know that N...

If you get a text message today from David Seymour - just reply. Just in case it is him.   Which is what Winston Peters should have done. Instead of thinking that the text message he got after the election from “David Seymour” wasn’t from Seymour himself, but was from someone pretending to be David Seymour.   But I suppose that’s what happens when you’ve been Foreign Minister before. You get all “...

Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Nicola Willis join Nick Mills for Politics Monday following special votes being counted. Together they discuss whether David Seymour and Winston Peters can work constructively, if recounts can make a difference, the Mongrel Mob seeking legal advice regarding the National Party’s gang policy, and Golden Mile contracts remaining unsigned. LISTEN ABOVE See omnys...

Here is the good news so far post the final vote.   By the way, I expect a recount for a couple of seats. If you win or lose by less than 100, I think it's only fair to test it.   But how much pressure does that place on the Electoral Commission to have done their job properly.   It's one thing to take three long weeks to count, but in a recount if the numbers aren't exactly the same, and my suspi...

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE  (from Monday's Mike Hosking Breakfast)   It's a Recurring Nightmare/Last Chance for Concerts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS  (highlights from the weekend on Newstalk ZB) Just a Couple of Details to Cover Off/How About Those Kiwis?/Thinking Too Hard About Food/Two Decades of Strangeness See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Attorney General has faith the parties set to form the incoming Government will get over their differences. The final election result shows National will need ACT and New Zealand First, if it wants to govern. ACT leader David Seymour and New Zealand First's Winston Peters butted heads repeatedly during the campaign. But Former National MP Chris Finlayson says they have plenty of overlap i...

ACT's David Seymour says the final election results haven't changed his relationship with Winston Peters- but it's their job to make it work now voters have decided. National and Act now need New Zealand First to form a Government after National lost two seats in the special vote counts. Seymour says he'd reached out to New Zealand First before that, but they haven't heard back. "I think now they'...

On Friday, the final election results were announced and NZ First brought in 8 seats and the ACT Party got 11. How will these coalition agreements go? To give us his insight, Former Attorney General Chris Finlayson joins the Weekend Collective. Later, David Seymour tells us what his bottom lines are- and why he hasn't changed his option of Winston Peters. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

This week on the Sunday Panel, BusinessDesk Investments Editor and host of Cooking the Books, Frances Cook and partner at Freebairn and Hehir Lawyers, Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! The final votes are in and Luxon will need Winston Peters to form a coalition Government with ACT after all- who wo we think will cause Luxon the most grief? Will...

NZ First managed to earn themselves an important slot in Parliament after National and ACT lost their majority. National dropped two seats from 50 on election night to 48, while ACT remained on 11 after the special votes were counted- meaning another 3 seats will be needed to form a Government. NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett says the three parties will likely clash on several key areas...

The economy was a significant talking point this election- and remains one of the biggest issues the incoming Government is expected to sort out. The special votes have been counted, meaning National and ACT will need NZ First to form a Government after National lost two seats. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the three parties have a shared goal to bring down public spending, but t...

The special votes are in and officially point to a National-ACT-NZ First coalition. They all ran on a similar election promise of turning the country around, including how they pledged to save the economy.  But what could this all mean for businesses? Business commentator Rod Oram joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Rachel Boyack says she's delighted with the final count result for her Nelson seat, but acknowledges it’s a small margin.   On the official count, she leapfrogged National's Blair Cameron, to win the seat by 29 votes.   Boyack told Andrew Dickens she's received notification from her National opponent he'll seek a recount for the Nelson seat.   “My expectation is that’ll happen reasonably...

National's campaign chair has clarified his earlier warnings of a second election.   The final vote count reveals National's dropped two seats to 48, which means it no longer has a majority with ACT's 11 and will need New Zealand First.   During the campaign Chris Bishop cautioned voters could be sent back to the polls if the three parties couldn't come to an arrangement.   Today he told Andrew Di...

Labour will be a “formidable opposition” as they work to “win back the confidence of more New Zealanders” over the next term, leader Chris Hipkins says. The party will have 34 of the expected 123 seats in Parliament over the next three years. Hipkins said he felt Labour had picked up some momentum over the campaign, as evidenced by on-the-day versus advance voting results. But the special votes ap...

David Seymour says he's confident he will be able to work alongside Winston Peters.   The final special votes count has confirmed National and ACT will need NZ First to form a government.   He says he has reached out to the New Zealand First leader but hasn't heard back yet.   Seymour told Andrew Dickens they will need to put aside their differences.   “This is a relationship that’s gonna work bas...

Last Monday when I was hosting afternoon talkback I got a pithy little text that said "We've got rid of the clownshow and here comes the 3-ring circus."   It's pretty funny because it's pretty true and it's happened.   The counting of the special votes has confirmed that Luxon and Seymour need Winston and as we all know Seymour and Peters are not BEST friends. Critics warn of a conservative coalit...

National will need New Zealand First's Winston Peters alongside Act's 11 seats to form a government after the special votes come in.   National has lost two seats, taking its 50 seats down to 48.   Labour's Te Atatu MP Phil Twyford avoided being another victim of the so-called "bluenami", holding onto his seat by just 131 votes.   Labour's Rachel Boyack also clawed back Nelson by 29 votes, while i...

Political Commentator Josie Pagani and Wellington columnist Dave Armstrong join Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff. Together they discuss their predictions ahead of the special votes being counted, whether Oranga Tamariki is failing, Lewis Clareburt leaving Wellington for good, Mayor Tory Whanau moving forward with Golden Mile contracts, and her meeting with Reading Cinemas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudi...

Am I weird to be excited?   As of this afternoon we will have a Government. Sort of.   We will know the final vote. Yet again, there will be the questions around the timeframe, and how refreshing it was to hear Chris Luxon on the show this week promising to upend how it all works.   In part, that is why I am sort of excited. At last we get to get things underway. The workload to sort this country...

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE  (from Friday's Mike Hosking Breakfast)  Can You Contain Yourself?/Mark the Week/Boo to Progress/Young People These Days See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former cabinet minister Steven Joyce told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking that he expects National to lose two seats.   “The advanced vote was as high as 41-42% for National, but on the day, it was 36-37%,” he said.   “Let’s say the special largely reflects what happened on the day, they may lose a couple of seats.“   “However, if the specials include a lot of advanced voting, then it could be better f...