Former PM gives view on MMP
Sir John Key may describe himself as little more than an interested observer, but the former prime minister has been talking to his successor during the postelection period.
Key said it was only natural, given his longstanding relationship with caretaker Prime Minister Bill English, but refused to say whether he had offered any advice on coalition negotiations.
‘‘It’s natural I had a discussion with him, and we’ll probably leave it about there,’’ he said, speaking at the new Trading Room at the University of Canterbury yesterday.
An alumnus of the university, Key was tasked with opening the facility at the business achool – a simulation of a trading floor complete with stock tickers and rolling business news.
The former trader used a business metaphor while discussing the process of forming a government, saying there had to be a willing buyer and a willing seller.
While he wanted National to be part of the next government, he would not say which of the two major parties he thought NZ First would support.
‘‘National and NZ First have proven they can work together successfully in the past, and so has Labour, that’s the nature of the beast, so, look, they’ll decide,’’ he said.
‘‘This is MMP, it’s a reality of the way it works, it’s not always pretty but in the end it’s delivered governments for New Zealand.’’
Key, who stepped down as prime minister in December after leading National to three election victories, said it had been his view that the largest party should form a government.
‘‘That’s been my view, but constitutionally that doesn’t hold any water. I’ve had a longstanding view that the biggest party should get there,’’ he said.
Under his successor, English, National won 46 per cent of the vote in the election – something Key described as a significant result.
‘‘In the end, there can only be one winner, and we’ll work out who that is pretty soon I guess.’’