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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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| 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) | |
| 4.49am BST | |
| 04:49 | |
| How NZ First could work with Labour and Greens | |
| A Labour/NZ First/Greens coalition would be an interesting proposition, writes Eleanor Ainge Roy: | |
| Winston Peters has a long-standing dislike of what he views as the “hippy” Green party and this unusual alliance would be viewed by political commentators as somewhat fragile. | |
| There has been much speculation about how 72-year-old Peters will deal with the youth and freshness of Ardern, and how he would take to being her deputy. But there is a chance for him to play the experienced older hand by siding with Labour because of his decades in politics. | |
| After nine years of National government, Peters ran his campaign on a similar theme to Labour: it’s time for change. This is likely to be Peters’ last term in parliament and he would like to go out with a bang – sticking with the status quo of National would not deliver that. | |
| Labour is currently the scrappy underdog – a position Peters has long identified with – and siding with the opposition would be thumbing his nose at the establishment. The NZ First values his political independence (he held his election night party at a small pub in Northland, rather than Auckland or Wellington like the other major parties) and bringing about a major shift in government would appeal to his sense of theatre and fairness. | |
| Labour and NZ First have many policy overlaps: NZ First’s drop in the polls was attributed in part to some of his supporters switching allegiance to Labour after Ardern was elected and “Jacindamania” was born. According to a Colmar Brunton survey earlier in the year, 65% of NZ First voters favoured Labour over National. | |
| Areas of potential agreement | |
| A drastic cut in immigration: Labour has a cut of up to 30,000 people. | |
| Exploring a manned re-entry of Pike River mine. | |
| Taxing bottled water companies taking New Zealand water. | |
| An increase in the minimum wage: Peters wants it at NZ$20 an hour. | |
| Moving the Auckland port to Northland and building a reliable rail link between the two (Ardern has said she is open to this). | |
| Investing in New Zealand workers and training by government-funded study and apprenticeship schemes. | |
| Keeping the retirement age at 65. | |
| State support for grandparents who become primary carers for their grandchildren. | |
| Driver licence training for every secondary school student. | |
| Raising the student allowance (Labour has committed to increase it by NZ$50 a week). | |
| Updated | |
| at 4.49am BST | |
| 4.36am BST | |
| 04:36 | |
| Another clue that it is, perhaps, in one way or another, on: | |
| Winston Peters advisors have laid a plinth in Beehive theaterette, to make sure he’ll be at the right height behind the lecturn pic.twitter.com/hfUdFNr7bO | |
| 4.31am BST | |
| 04:31 | |
| It must be hard to sneak anywhere when you’re currently the most-watched man in New Zealand … | |
| Breaking: Winston Peters has been seen sneaking in and out of Labour's offices today. | |
| 4.13am BST | 4.13am BST |
| 04:13 | 04:13 |
| How NZ First could work with National | How NZ First could work with National |
| If Peters chooses National, he’ll be returning to power the party that has governed for nine years. Eleanor Ainge Roy assesses their chances: | If Peters chooses National, he’ll be returning to power the party that has governed for nine years. Eleanor Ainge Roy assesses their chances: |
| Bill English and Winston Peters have worked alongside each other for decades and are said to have a healthy degree of mutual respect. | Bill English and Winston Peters have worked alongside each other for decades and are said to have a healthy degree of mutual respect. |
| It has not all been all smooth-sailing. English has described Peters as a “maverick” and frequently joked about his many bottom lines. However, he has said he believes the two parties could form a strong government and have a mutual interest in continuing to grow the economy – the backbone of National’s campaign, and a longstanding interest of Peters, who has harboured ambitions to be finance minister. | It has not all been all smooth-sailing. English has described Peters as a “maverick” and frequently joked about his many bottom lines. However, he has said he believes the two parties could form a strong government and have a mutual interest in continuing to grow the economy – the backbone of National’s campaign, and a longstanding interest of Peters, who has harboured ambitions to be finance minister. |
| English told Radio New Zealand after the election: | English told Radio New Zealand after the election: |
| People want to continue with the economic direction and they voted for progress. We have yet to secure a mandate to govern … but I think there is a clear indication from voters of continuing the direction National campaigned on. | People want to continue with the economic direction and they voted for progress. We have yet to secure a mandate to govern … but I think there is a clear indication from voters of continuing the direction National campaigned on. |
| So what are the elements working in favour of an NZ First/National coalition? | So what are the elements working in favour of an NZ First/National coalition? |
| Peters has a long-standing distaste for the Green party and would find it difficult to work with them in a Labour coalition. | Peters has a long-standing distaste for the Green party and would find it difficult to work with them in a Labour coalition. |
| English as prime minister is a known quantity and because of his subdued leadership style Peters as potential deputy prime minister would remain the star and showman in government. | English as prime minister is a known quantity and because of his subdued leadership style Peters as potential deputy prime minister would remain the star and showman in government. |
| A coalition with National would have a greater majority than a Labour-led one and potentially would be more stable as a two- rather than three-party grouping. | A coalition with National would have a greater majority than a Labour-led one and potentially would be more stable as a two- rather than three-party grouping. |
| And after all, National won the most votes in the election, which may convince Peters to back the party with the biggest numbers. | And after all, National won the most votes in the election, which may convince Peters to back the party with the biggest numbers. |
| Areas of potential agreement | Areas of potential agreement |
| Banning foreign buyers or operating a foreign buyers register. | Banning foreign buyers or operating a foreign buyers register. |
| Scrapping the Māori seats. (NZ First policy is to hold a referendum to scrap the Māori seats, calling them “tokenism”.) | |
| Reducing or lowering record-high levels of immigration. | Reducing or lowering record-high levels of immigration. |
| Not raising the retirement age from 65. | Not raising the retirement age from 65. |
| Updated | |
| at 4.20am BST | |
| 3.44am BST | 3.44am BST |
| 03:44 | 03:44 |
| As well as hammering out policy agreements and disagreements, a key factor in building a coalition will be personal: who will Winston Peters and co want to work with? | As well as hammering out policy agreements and disagreements, a key factor in building a coalition will be personal: who will Winston Peters and co want to work with? |
| Before the most recent election campaign, Peters and Bill English were thought to have had a generally good relationship and a mutual respect. But that soured earlier this year, when Peters called on English to resign as prime minister after Todd Barclay, a government MP, resigned amid claims he made illegal tape recordings of a former staff member. | Before the most recent election campaign, Peters and Bill English were thought to have had a generally good relationship and a mutual respect. But that soured earlier this year, when Peters called on English to resign as prime minister after Todd Barclay, a government MP, resigned amid claims he made illegal tape recordings of a former staff member. |
| The NZ First leader said at the time: | The NZ First leader said at the time: |
| I don’t believe English is a straight shooter. | I don’t believe English is a straight shooter. |
| But prior to the coalition negotiations, Peters said he and Jacinda Ardern had never had a one-on-one conversation. | But prior to the coalition negotiations, Peters said he and Jacinda Ardern had never had a one-on-one conversation. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.46am BST | at 3.46am BST |
| 3.30am BST | 3.30am BST |
| 03:30 | 03:30 |
| Marama Fox, co-leader of the Māori party who – along with the rest of her party – lost her seat in parliament in the election, has run a snap poll on Twitter to gauge which way followers think Peters will go, and it’s as good a guess as any at this point: | Marama Fox, co-leader of the Māori party who – along with the rest of her party – lost her seat in parliament in the election, has run a snap poll on Twitter to gauge which way followers think Peters will go, and it’s as good a guess as any at this point: |
| .Which way will Winnie crumble? | .Which way will Winnie crumble? |
| 3.20am BST | 3.20am BST |
| 03:20 | 03:20 |
| Jacinda Ardern’s partner, Clarke Gayford, is on the scene, from which we can divine precisely nothing: | Jacinda Ardern’s partner, Clarke Gayford, is on the scene, from which we can divine precisely nothing: |
| Just spotted Clarke Gayford on his way into the Labour office with gingernuts and possibly a bag of candy | Just spotted Clarke Gayford on his way into the Labour office with gingernuts and possibly a bag of candy |
| 3.12am BST | 3.12am BST |
| 03:12 | 03:12 |
| There have been surprisingly few leaks from the coalition negotiations and very little has been given away by party members about the detail of the talks. | There have been surprisingly few leaks from the coalition negotiations and very little has been given away by party members about the detail of the talks. |
| In an official statement on Tuesday, Peters said: | In an official statement on Tuesday, Peters said: |
| We are 98% there on policy issues. | We are 98% there on policy issues. |
| Labour’s deputy leader, Kelvin Davis, had previously said, not very revealingly, that negotiations had been “very nice”. | Labour’s deputy leader, Kelvin Davis, had previously said, not very revealingly, that negotiations had been “very nice”. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.15am BST | at 3.15am BST |
| 2.46am BST | 2.46am BST |
| 02:46 | 02:46 |
| Eleanor Ainge Roy, our correspondent in New Zealand, is one of those wondering when Peters will show his hand: | Eleanor Ainge Roy, our correspondent in New Zealand, is one of those wondering when Peters will show his hand: |
| Last night Winston Peters released a statement saying he would make an announcement this afternoon on which party he had decided to align himself with. | Last night Winston Peters released a statement saying he would make an announcement this afternoon on which party he had decided to align himself with. |
| But as noon has come and gone, New Zealanders are growing increasingly anxious that a decision may be hours, if not days away. Peters has had a 40-minute break to clear his head, and he said the meal had helped him with the decision. | But as noon has come and gone, New Zealanders are growing increasingly anxious that a decision may be hours, if not days away. Peters has had a 40-minute break to clear his head, and he said the meal had helped him with the decision. |
| It appears negotiations between NZ First and the major parties are ongoing, with Peters saying new information was still coming in and the situation was changing by the hour. | It appears negotiations between NZ First and the major parties are ongoing, with Peters saying new information was still coming in and the situation was changing by the hour. |
| As it stands, neither of the main party leaders, nor the media nor the New Zealand public know which way Peters will swing, what time this afternoon his announcement will be, and what form it will take. | As it stands, neither of the main party leaders, nor the media nor the New Zealand public know which way Peters will swing, what time this afternoon his announcement will be, and what form it will take. |
| It is thought that the announcement will be the first that Bill English and Jacinda Ardern will hear of his decision – and they will then be called on to make an appearance. | It is thought that the announcement will be the first that Bill English and Jacinda Ardern will hear of his decision – and they will then be called on to make an appearance. |
| The lack of information regarding the timeline or format of Peters’ decision is frustrating New Zealanders, some of whom are calling the current situation “bizarre” and “ridiculous”, though there is certainly a humorous element to it as well. | The lack of information regarding the timeline or format of Peters’ decision is frustrating New Zealanders, some of whom are calling the current situation “bizarre” and “ridiculous”, though there is certainly a humorous element to it as well. |
| Daylight hours are long in New Zealand with the approach of summer, and Newshub has declared the end of the “afternoon” as sunset at 7.46pm. So we could be in for a long wait yet, though most commentators are predicting Peters will make his announcement close to or at 6pm – in time to be broadcast live on the nightly TV news. | Daylight hours are long in New Zealand with the approach of summer, and Newshub has declared the end of the “afternoon” as sunset at 7.46pm. So we could be in for a long wait yet, though most commentators are predicting Peters will make his announcement close to or at 6pm – in time to be broadcast live on the nightly TV news. |
| 2.36am BST | 2.36am BST |
| 02:36 | 02:36 |
| Clever, New Zealand Herald. Let’s hope you don’t have to run this page again tomorrow. Or the day after… | Clever, New Zealand Herald. Let’s hope you don’t have to run this page again tomorrow. Or the day after… |
| Scoop! Today's @nzherald front page has the winner pic.twitter.com/1JEitd2QBT | Scoop! Today's @nzherald front page has the winner pic.twitter.com/1JEitd2QBT |
| 2.27am BST | 2.27am BST |
| 02:27 | 02:27 |
| Eleanor Ainge Roy | Eleanor Ainge Roy |
| Over the past nine years of National government, Peters has repeatedly opined on his many “bottom lines” if he were to form a coalition government. | Over the past nine years of National government, Peters has repeatedly opined on his many “bottom lines” if he were to form a coalition government. |
| These include: | These include: |
| Plans to slash migration to 10,000 a year – a drop of more than 60,000. | Plans to slash migration to 10,000 a year – a drop of more than 60,000. |
| A ban on foreigners buying land, and establishment of a foreign ownership register. | A ban on foreigners buying land, and establishment of a foreign ownership register. |
| Moving public service jobs out of Wellington to regional areas. | Moving public service jobs out of Wellington to regional areas. |
| Holding a referendum on the anti-smacking law. | Holding a referendum on the anti-smacking law. |
| Installing New Zealand woollen carpets in all government departments, schools and agencies. | Installing New Zealand woollen carpets in all government departments, schools and agencies. |