Ardern, Davis will direct Labour’s negotiations
Leader Jacinda Ardern and deputy leader Kelvin Davis will lead Labour’s coalition negotiation team.
Speaking following Labour’s first caucus meeting yesterday, Ardern said they would form part of the core coalition negotiating team that would meet with NZ First and the Green Party.
Ardern said she would not reveal the other members of the core negotiating team, other than to say she would be ‘‘drawing on senior experience’’.
When asked if former prime Minister Helen Clark would step in to help, she said Clark was busy with travel at the moment.
Ardern’s chief of staff has reached out to Winston Peters’ chief of staff to say Labour is ready to talk when they are.
However, Ardern was yet to speak to Peters directly.
Davis again said he was willing to step aside to allow Peters to have the position of deputy prime minister, if needed.
Peters, who has held the position of deputy prime minister before, said ‘‘been there, done that’’, when asked whether he was gunning for the position of second-in-command.
Yesterday, Davis said Ardern becoming prime minister was what mattered.
‘‘My priority is to make sure Jacinda Ardern is the prime minister... If it has to be it has to be,’’ Davis said.
‘‘It’s not something we’d give up lightly but Jacinda being the prime minister is the main focus here.’’
Arden said she didn’t necessarily expect to meet Peters today when he arrived back at Parliament.
‘‘I respect the time that Mr Peters will need to take with his party and with his caucus members, it’s the same that we’ve done today and I’ll give him that same courtesy ... we’re willing and available when he’s ready,’’ Ardern said.