Winston chooses Labour
Jacinda Ardern will become Prime Minister as the Labour Party retake power after nine years in the cold.
Ardern learned she’s the country’s new leader last night at the same time as the public heard the news.
Meanwhile, National leader Bill English also found out he’d lost the role of prime minister at the same time.
NZ First leader Winston Peters hasn’t mentioned the Greens in the coalition deal.
He says he negotiated with Labour and it was for them to sort out the Greens agreement.
It will be case of learning new skills for Taranaki King Country MP, and National Party whip Barbara Kuriger.
"I was kind of hopeful it would go the other way of course but we always knew it was going to be a tight race.
"We now know our position, we are in opposition where we don’t want to be and we are all going to be learning new skills."
Kuriger said she learnt of the decision at the same time as everyone else last night.
"We had a caucus meeting in the morning to understand our position but we were not told anything until we heard the announcement."
New Plymouth Labour Party candidate Corie Haddock called the decision "great news" .
"It’s an opportunity for the country to go in a new direction and focus on the people of New Zealand," he said.
Haddock said the final decision on what the coalition government would be was hard to pick.
"Everyone was hedging their bets.’
Haddock said he hoped the focus of change would now be on the regions which both Labour and New Zealand First had campaigned on during the election.
"I havent seen the details but we want change to be positive benefits for the people of Taranaki."
"Jacinda Ardern will be outstanding as Prime Minister and it is the start of a long distinguished political career for her as leader of New Zealand."
Haddock said both Ardern and Winston Peters have "similar values of putting the country first."
New Plymouth New Zealand First candidate Murray Chong said it was important theparty had got its policies across the line during negotiations.
"I don’t know what they are but that’s what we would like to see here in the regions."
One of NZF platforms was returning 25 per cent oil and gas royalties to Taranaki.
Chong said the "arrogance of National" and because "the country had had enough" were the reasons for the change of government.
Peters has been offered the role of deputy prime minister as part of his party’s negotiations with Labour.