Pace picks up in play for power
Talks aimed at forming a new government may be further advanced than the slow pace of Beehive action suggests.
Substantive face-to-face talks started on Sunday with a meeting at midday between NZ First and National with the next due to start at 3pm between NZ First and Labour as many commentators question whether NZ First leader Winston Peters’ self-imposed deadline of Thursday may be too tight.
The parties met briefly last week to agree on how the talks would proceed but Peters and Labour were keen to wait until after Saturday’s return of special votes. That saw Labour and the Greens pick up one seat each and National lose two seats, strengthening the Left bloc but still leaving both sides reliant on NZ First’s backing to form a government.
But a source said party spokespeople had been ‘‘reaching out’’ to their counterparts to open discussions ahead of the formal talks while another insider said there had been ‘‘frenetic activity’’ behind the scenes.
That included a previouslyreported eight-hour NZ First caucus on Wednesday that spilled over into Thursday.
There have also been instructions within the two big parties for key MPs to prepare for talks by identifying areas of agreement and major sticking points.
Peters has said he will announce his choice on Thursday, when the formal election result, or ‘‘writ’’, is returned.
His choices could include a full coalition deal, support on key confidence and supply votes or the option of sitting on the cross benches and abstaining on those key votes. The latter would leave National in power but having to negotiate issue by issue on all votes in Parliament.
Peters and his negotiating team met National for the first formal talks on Sunday.
He and his team, the same group who took part in the preliminary discussions last week, did not speak to media as they left their Bowen House offices and headed to level two of the Beehive where the meeting is taking place.
The NZ First team consists of Peters, deputy Ron Mark, MP Tracey Martin, chief of staff David
Both main party leaders will be vying to make an offer Winston Peters cannot refuse.
Broome, adviser Paul Carrad and staffer Kirsty Christison.
The National team was made up of Bill English, his deputy Paula Bennett and senior MPs Steven Joyce and Gerry Brownlee along with chief of staff Wayne Eagleson.
Bennett was a change from last week’s lineup.
Security and sensitivity was even higher on Sunday than it was last week. Media were blocked from filming anyone going into the meeting room and media with security passes have had their access stripped for the corridor leading to the negotiating room.
That meant media watching to see who entered the room from the National side had to rely on a view of their ankles through a closed door in Parliament.
The other option was a very brief view of their heads - or the tops of their heads in the case of shorter negotiators - from a lower floor public area in the Beehive.
Peters and his team were ushered into a private ministerial lift in the Beehive by security.
Both main party leaders will be vying to make an offer Peters cannot refuse without abandoning their core principles.
It is expected he will be offered the foreign affairs role and deputy prime minister as well as his passion, the racing portfolio.
After special votes were counted on Saturday, Labour and the Greens gained one seat each, meaning a National/NZ First coalition would reach 65 seats while Labour/Greens/NZ First would get to 63 seats - a majority with two votes to spare.
National announced earlier this year it would raise the retirement age to 67 in 2030 but Peters is expected to make it a condition of any deal that the age stays at 65.
Peters is set to build on his legacy SuperGold card, extending it from public transport to a fullfledged e-wallet providing discounts on doctors’ visits and eye tests, and perhaps even power bills.