Official election results are in, National needs NZ First to govern – Times

The Electoral Commission has released the official results of this year’s general election.

It shows the National Party, led by Botany MP and incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, has lost two seats it had on election night.

Te Pati Maori has gained two seats, and the Green Party has gained one.

National will have 48 seats in the next Parliament, down from 50 it had on election night.

There are no changes to the Labour Party’s result, with it keeping the 34 seats it had when votes were cast on October 14.

The ACT Party will have 11 MPs, an increase of one from last term, while New Zealand First is back in Parliament and will have eight seats.

The Electoral Commission says there’s an overhang in the new Parliament because Te Pati Maori won more electorate seats than it would otherwise have from its share of the party vote.

“One more seat will be added to Parliament after the Port Waikato by-election, taking the total to 123.”

On election night, the National and ACT parties were in a position to form a new coalition Government with a slim one-seat majority.

But with National losing two seats after the special votes have been counted, it will need both ACT and New Zealand First to be able to govern.

Luxon is expected to speak to news media from Wellington this afternoon about the final results of the general election.

He previously said his strong preference was to form a two-party coalition with ACT, but he would phone New Zealand First leader Winston Peters if necessary to form a new Government.

Outgoing Prime Minister, Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins, says the new Labour team will be a “formidable Opposition who will proudly stand on the Government’s record over the past six years and hold the expected three-party governing arrangement to account”.

“We’ve got great talent and experience in our team, including a number of former Ministers, and we plan to work hard to win back the confidence of more New Zealanders over the next three years.

“Labour’s careful economic management is seeing the economy turn a corner, inflation and food prices coming down, low unemployment and growing wages.

“We’ve made inroads in important areas like climate change and child poverty.

“While Labour governed during an incredibly challenging time for New Zealand, progress was being made.

“We can’t let that go to waste.

“We will be an Opposition that will hold Christopher Luxon, [ACT leader] David Seymour and Winston Peters to account and stand up for working people, our children and the environment.”