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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2017/oct/19/new-zealand-election-winston-peters-prime-minister-bill-english-jacinda-ardern-live
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| New Zealand election: Winston Peters to announce next prime minister – live | New Zealand election: Winston Peters to announce next prime minister – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 1.52am BST | |
| 01:52 | |
| Peters: 'I don't rule things out … Things change by the hour' | |
| Before taking his meal break, Peters spoke to reporters outside the NZ First caucus meeting. He described it as “a very, very anxious time”: | |
| Our total focus has been on the decision … It is seriously difficult, because, you know, there are pros and cons for every part of this decision we’ve got to make. | |
| We’ve got one more chance to evaluate what it means, both ways. | |
| Let’s be honest, no negotiation ends up perfectly, the way you’d like it. Because if it was the way you liked it, you’d never be in the negotiation in the first place. | |
| We’ll go back [into the meeting] and we’ve got a few hours to go, but we hope to complete it … It is a party decision and the caucus matter most. | |
| The reason why I don’t rule out things is that you never know what might blow in the next couple of hours – that’s the nature of politics … Things change by the hour. | |
| 1.41am BST | |
| 01:41 | |
| After the counting of special votes on 7 October saw Labour and the Greens add an extra seat each, and docked two from National, Jacinda Ardern said the momentum was now with them to secure a coalition agreement with NZ First: | |
| The final vote tally shows how this election galvanised people to enrol and vote with the highest turnout since 2005. | |
| This reinforces the mandate for negotiations to form a stable, durable and progressive Labour-led government, a government I would be proud to lead. | |
| James Shaw, the co-leader of the Greens, said they would be open to a three-party deal: | |
| With the Green party, Labour and New Zealand First combined, there is now a strong majority for change across our parliament. | |
| 1.31am BST | |
| 01:31 | |
| Perhaps not very reassuringly, English and Ardern are reported to be as much in the dark about the NZ First choice as the rest of us. | |
| Both National and Labour held caucus meetings earlier today to present updates on talks so far with the kingmaker party. | |
| National said English had set out “the broad parameters of an agreement with New Zealand First”. English himself tweeted that he was: | |
| Looking forward to hearing NZ First’s decision. | |
| 1.22am BST | |
| 01:22 | |
| Don’t do this to us, Winston Peters. (Also it is lunchtime in Wellington.) | |
| Winston has emerged - still hasn’t made a decision. Hopes it’ll be today but no commitments. Now off for breakfast. | |
| Our political editor @janepatterson said Mr Peters spoke briefly to media - has not made a decicion, but one was probably a few hours away. | |
| 1.16am BST | 1.16am BST |
| 01:16 | 01:16 |
| Here’s the statement Winston Peters released yesterday promising an announcement today on … whatever he’s decided: | Here’s the statement Winston Peters released yesterday promising an announcement today on … whatever he’s decided: |
| We will be in a position tomorrow afternoon to make an announcement on the result of negotiations following the 2017 general election. | We will be in a position tomorrow afternoon to make an announcement on the result of negotiations following the 2017 general election. |
| I have spoken to the leaders of the National party and the Labour party today and, amongst other matters, advised them of this. | I have spoken to the leaders of the National party and the Labour party today and, amongst other matters, advised them of this. |
| While it’s understood that English and Ardern were informed of the upcoming announcement, apparently the two party leaders do not know what Peters’ announcement will be. | While it’s understood that English and Ardern were informed of the upcoming announcement, apparently the two party leaders do not know what Peters’ announcement will be. |
| English told reporters in Wellington this morning that he did not know which way NZ First would go: | English told reporters in Wellington this morning that he did not know which way NZ First would go: |
| Bill English is as much in the dark as us. Hasn't considered whether he'd resign should Peters choose Lab. (Credit: Kevin Stent) #decision17 pic.twitter.com/i5vn9EmKEJ | Bill English is as much in the dark as us. Hasn't considered whether he'd resign should Peters choose Lab. (Credit: Kevin Stent) #decision17 pic.twitter.com/i5vn9EmKEJ |
| 1.07am BST | 1.07am BST |
| 01:07 | 01:07 |
| It’s worth bearing in mind that coalition governments have been the norm in New Zealand for the last 20 years. | It’s worth bearing in mind that coalition governments have been the norm in New Zealand for the last 20 years. |
| Since the introduction of MMP (mixed-member proportional representation*) for the 1996 general election, neither National nor Labour has won an outright majority. | Since the introduction of MMP (mixed-member proportional representation*) for the 1996 general election, neither National nor Labour has won an outright majority. |
| Coalitions – of varying degrees of formality – are then formed. The most recent National government had the backing of three smaller parties, including the Māori party, which lost all its seats in the September election. | Coalitions – of varying degrees of formality – are then formed. The most recent National government had the backing of three smaller parties, including the Māori party, which lost all its seats in the September election. |
| In current negotiations, Green support for Labour has been pretty much a given, while New Zealand First has found itself playing kingmaker, as it has in the past. | |
| * In a nutshell, New Zealanders are asked to cast two votes: one for a party and one for a candidate for their electorate (constituency). The results are then used to calculate the proportion of seats each party will have in the – usually – 120-seat parliament. | * In a nutshell, New Zealanders are asked to cast two votes: one for a party and one for a candidate for their electorate (constituency). The results are then used to calculate the proportion of seats each party will have in the – usually – 120-seat parliament. |
| Updated | |
| at 1.24am BST | |
| 12.57am BST | 12.57am BST |
| 00:57 | 00:57 |
| Claire Phipps | Claire Phipps |
| Twenty-six days ago, on 23 September, New Zealanders went to the polls to choose their next government. | Twenty-six days ago, on 23 September, New Zealanders went to the polls to choose their next government. |
| Today, Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First, which holds the balance of power in a parliament in which no party secured the necessary 61-seat majority, decides who that next government will be. | Today, Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First, which holds the balance of power in a parliament in which no party secured the necessary 61-seat majority, decides who that next government will be. |
| There are, ostensibly, two options. Peters could side with National, which has been in government since 2008, and return Bill English to the prime ministership. With 56 seats (and 44.4% of the vote), National would comfortably get across the line with the help of NZ First’s nine seats. | There are, ostensibly, two options. Peters could side with National, which has been in government since 2008, and return Bill English to the prime ministership. With 56 seats (and 44.4% of the vote), National would comfortably get across the line with the help of NZ First’s nine seats. |
| Or Peters could sign up with Labour, which has 46 seats but also a pre-arranged alliance with the Greens. Their eight seats, plus NZ First’s nine, would also get the three-party coalition a parliamentary majority. | Or Peters could sign up with Labour, which has 46 seats but also a pre-arranged alliance with the Greens. Their eight seats, plus NZ First’s nine, would also get the three-party coalition a parliamentary majority. |
| Or he could do something else entirely. Quite what is difficult to say, but Winston Peters is not a man who likes to do what is expected. Read more about him here while we all wait for him to take to the stage: | Or he could do something else entirely. Quite what is difficult to say, but Winston Peters is not a man who likes to do what is expected. Read more about him here while we all wait for him to take to the stage: |