CAPTIONS BY STEFFI DRYDEN AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023. TENA KOUTOU. NAU MAI, HAERE MAI. WELCOME TO Q+A. I'M JACK TAME. TODAY, A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION ` IF A TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS ABOUT, OR A POLITICS SHOW AIRS AT THE EXACT SAME TIME AS A CERTAIN DO-OR-DIE WORLD CUP QUARTERFINAL, WILL ANYONE BE TUNING IN? OF COURSE THEY WILL ` BECAUSE THIS MORNING IS THE MORNING IN WHICH WE'RE ANALYSING ALL THE RESULTS FROM THE 2023 ELECTION! AND THANK YOU, NEW ZEALAND, BECAUSE FROM ALL OVER YOUR COUNTRY, THIS GREAT COUNTRY, YOU HAVE REACHED FOR HOPE, AND YOU HAVE VOTED FOR CHANGE. (LMFAO'S 'PARTY ROCK ANTHEM) I'M CONFIDENT THAT IT'S A CHANGE GOVERNMENT, AND THAT ACT HAS HAD A RECORD RESULT. (ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC CONTINUES) I GUESS IT JUST VALIDATES WHAT WE WERE HEARING AND SEEN ON THE GROUND, AND I JUST WANNA MIHI IT TO ALL OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN US. (MUSIC CONTINUES) WE HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE. (CHEERING, WHISTLING) (MUSIC CONTINUES) AS IT STANDS, LABOUR IS NOT IN A POSITION TO FORM ANOTHER GOVERNMENT. (MUSIC CONTINUES) YOUR WORK HAS DELIVERED A GREEN PARTY CAMPAIGN THAT HAS, ONCE AGAIN, DEFIED HISTORY! (MUSIC CONTINUES) I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING THE LOCAL PEOPLE OF TAMAKI. (MUSIC CONTINUES) OH, YEAH, THEY'RE JUST HAVING A GOOD OLD PARTY DOWN THERE. (LAUGHS) (MUSIC CONTINUES) ALL: LET'S GO, CHRIS! LET'S GO, CHRIS! LET'S GO, CHRIS! LET'S GO, CHRIS! (CHEERING) THIS MORNING, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM ALL THE PARTIES. WE'VE GOT A PANEL IN STUDIO TO ANALYSE THE RESULTS. BUT WE WANT TO START WITH THE BIG PICTURE. IN TERMS OF PARTY VOTES SUPPORT, IT'S A CLEAR WIN FOR THE CENTRE RIGHT. THE NATIONAL PARTY HAS COMFORTABLY RECORDED THE LARGEST SINGLE SHARE OF PARTY VOTES. BUT IN MMP ELECTIONS, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO WHICH PARTIES CAN COMMAND A MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE. BUT HAVE A LOOK AT THE PARTY SEATS. NATIONAL HAS 50 SEATS AND ACT WITH 11 ` THAT GIVES THEM 61 SEATS. ENOUGH FOR A MAJORITY BUT WITH NO EXTRA ROOM TO SPARE. THEY HAVE RECORDED FOR ELECTORATE ONES, TE PATI MAORI. THAT MEANS THERE WILL BE AN EXTRA SEAT. THAT MEANS YOU NEED 61 SEATS TO HAVE A MAJORITY. TAKE NATIONAL AND ACT'S SEATS AND ADD THEM TOGETHER ` 61 SEATS. ENOUGH FOR A MAJORITY BUT WITH NO EXTRA ROOM TO SPARE. AND GET THIS ` THERE ARE STILL MORE THAN HALF A MILLION SPECIAL VOTES TO BE COUNTED. THAT IS ABOUT 20% OF THE TOTAL VOTES. THAT MEANS WE LIKELY NEED TO WAIT FOR THE SPECIAL VOTES TO BE COUNTED BEFORE IT'S CLEAR WHETHER NATIONAL NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF NZ FIRST TO MAKE A GOVERNMENT, OR IF THEY CAN DO IT WITH ACT ALONE. TO TALK US THROUGH THE STATE OF PLAY, 1 NEWS DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR MAIKI SHERMAN. LET'S LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS FIRST OF ALL ` 61, THEY HAVE A MAJORITY ON THE CURRENT NUMBERS, NATIONAL AND ACT. DO YOU THINK THEY WILL NEED NEW ZEALAND FIRST? IT IS LOOKING LIKE IT IS ON A KNIFE'S EDGE. THAT IS WHY WE SAW IN CHRISTOPHER LUXON'S SPEECH, A VERY WARM TONE TOWARDS WINSTON PETERS. IT WAS A RESPECTFUL TONE, EVEN IN THE INTERVIEWS WITH THE MEDIA AFTERWARDS. THAT IS BECAUSE GAME IT RECOGNISES GAME. THOSE RANGATIRA KNOW THEY MAY VERY WELL NEED EACH OTHER. THAT IS WHY WE SAW THAT TONE LAST NIGHT. ON THOSE NUMBERS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SAY A PRETTY REMARKABLE RESULT FOR NATIONAL. THEY OUTPERFORMED THE POLES, OR AT LEAST THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF POLLS. TALK TO US ABOUT THE CONTRASTING RESULTS FOR NATIONAL AND LABOUR. AND ABSOLUTE THRESHING DELIVERED BY NATIONAL LAST NIGHT TOWARDS LABOUR. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT OF RED BROKEN HEARTS ALL OVER THE SHOW. SYSTEM AND TO CHRISTOPHER LUXON ` HE RAN AN ABSOLUTELY STRONG CAMPAIGN FOR A STRONG 40 DAYS. WE SAW HEAPS OF THOSE BIG LABOUR SEATS TURN BLUE. WE ARE TALKING MT ROSKILL, WEST COAST TASMAN. I WAS DOWN THERE ALONG THE WESTLAND WITH THE MAYORS LAST WEEK, AND THEY GAVE LABOUR A DRUBBING. MOUNT ALBERT AND TE ATATU, THOSE ARE THE ONES TO WATCH. DO YOU THINK IT IS A BOAT THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL AND THEIR VISION OR A PROTEST VOTE AGAINST LABOUR? THAT IS THE BIG QUESTION. PEOPLE WILL SAY AND TRY TO TAKE A BIT OF THE FACTORY AWAY FROM NATIONAL ON THAT BASIS, THAT THIS WAS MORE THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO CHANGE. I THINK BASED ON THE NUMBERS AND THE SEATS WE SAW FLIP, YOU HAVE TO GIVE NATIONAL THEIR FLOWERS. THEY DID PULL IT OFF LAST NIGHT AND DELIVERED A RESULT NO ONE SAW COMING. THEY BROUGHT IT HOME EVEN BETTER THAN THE POLLS. HEAPS OF ELECTORATE SEATS ARE FLIPPED LAST NIGHT OR LOOKED SITS TO FLIP WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE SPECIAL VOTE RESULTS. YOU MENTION SOME OF THE AUCKLAND SEATS ` MT ROSKILL LOOKS SET TO REMAIN NATIONAL. THE LEAD IS COMFORTABLE BE ENOUGH THAT I DON'T THINK LABOUR IS MICHAEL WARD WILL BE BACK, WHICH IS AN EXTRAORDINARY RESULT. GONE COMPLETELY FROM PARLIAMENT. ONLY NINE MONTHS AGO SINCE PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT HIM AS A POTENTIAL LEADER. TE ATATU, THERE IS A NARROW LEAD THERE. NEW LYNN LOOKS LIKE IT COULD POTENTIALLY FLIP FROM LABOUR TO NATIONAL. TAKANINI HAS GONE NATIONAL. MOUNT ALBERT LOOKS TO BE RETAINED BY LABOUR BUT THAT MIGHT NOT GO THEIR WAY. IT IS REMARKABLE. A BIG SLAB OF AUCKLAND THAT I THINK LABOUR WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO PICK UP, THEY HAVE NOT. THAT SINCE THE ALARM BELLS TO LABOUR ` WARNING, WARNING, THE PARTY IS IN TROUBLE. THE BIG QUESTION NOW IS WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR CHRIS HIPKINS AND THE LEADERSHIP POSITION? HE HAS TAKEN THE DAY OFF TODAY AND IS NOT PUBLIC FACING TODAY, SO WE WILL NOT HEAR FROM HIM UNTIL TOMORROW. IS HE GOING TO STAY THERE FOR THE TIME BEING FOR STABILITY'S SAKE? OR TRY AND REBUILD THE PARTY FROM OPPOSITION? I THINK SO, BUT HE MUST BE TIRED. THAT WAS A LONG AND BIG CAMPAIGN. HE GOT COVID-19 IN THE END. THAT JOB WAS HANDED TO HIM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. HE HAS HAD A BIG RUN UP BUT IT HAS BEEN A BIGGIE FOR HIM. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF SOME OF THE THIRD PARTIES. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THE GREENS WITH AN INCREDIBLY STRONG RESULT BY THEIR STANDARDS LAST NIGHT. THEY WILL RETURN TO PARLIAMENT ON THE CURRENT VOTE WITH 14 SEATS. ACT WITH THE BEST EVER RESULT ` 9% OF THE VOTE AND 11 NEW MPS. TE PATI MAORI IS THE ONE WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT FOR SOME TIME. FOUR ELECTORATE WINS. SOME OF THOSE RESULTS WILL COME AS A HUGE SURPRISE. MAY BE SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT DEBBIE NGAREW-PACKER HAD PUT IN ENOUGH WORK, BECAUSE SHE ABSOLUTELY HAD, BUT SHE RAN HOME AND THAT ELECTORATE. THEN THERE WAS ALL EYES ON THAT IKAROA-RAWHITI SEAT. WE SAW LABOUR RETAINED THAT BECAUSE TE PATI MAORI SUPPORTERS WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY THEIR OWN CANDIDATE WAS TREATED WHEN SHE HAD TO STEP ASIDE FOR MEKA WHAITIRI COMING IN. THAT PARTY NEEDS TO TAKE NOTE. IN TERMS OF CALVIN AND PENI, PENI HAS HAD THE CLOSEST MARGIN AT THE LAST ELECTION, SO INTERESTING TO SEE HE IS LOOKING LIKE HE HAS HIS SEAT UNDER LOCK. AMAZING TO SEE THE GENERATIONAL CHANGE IN HAURAKI WAIKATO GOING FROM NANAIA MAHUTA KNOCKED OUT BY 21 YEAR OLD. AND THEN IN TE TAI TONGA, GOING TO ANOTHER YOUNG MP. A GREAT GUY, BUT HE IS NOT DOING MUCH THERE. WE DON'T SEE A TRAJECTORY FOR HIM AND PARLIAMENT REALLY. THE VOTERS HAVE OBVIOUSLY SEEN TAKUTA AND SAID LET'S GO. IN TERMS OF THE NAME AHUJA, SHE CAME IN AND HER YOUNG 20S, SO IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THAT ELECTORATE TO GET BEHIND SUCH A YOUNG CANDIDATE. SHE WAS REALLY IMPRESSIVE DURING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. NANAIA HAS DONE HER . WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS? IT WILL BE INTERESTING, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE SPECIALS TO SEE WHERE WINSTON PETERS WILL FIT IN ALL OF THIS. TODAY WE WILL SEE THE BRAINS TRUST MEETING THAT CHRISTOPHER LUXON WILL HOLD AT HIS HOUSE WITH SOME OF HIS SENIOR MPS. THEY WILL COME UP WITH A PLANET, AND WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR IT. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. IN THE END, IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT FOR THE NATIONAL PARTY, WHICH OUTPERFORMED THE POLLS, ESTABLISHING CHRISTOPHER LUXON AS NEW ZEALAND'S NEXT PRIME MINISTER ` A REMARKABLE RISE FOR SOMEONE WHO'S ONLY BEEN A POLITICIAN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. (APPLAUSE) I HAVE ALWAYS SAID MARRYING YOU WILL BE MY GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT. I LOVE YOU, AND I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT I GET TO DO LIFE WITH YOU EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND I WANT TO SAY TO WILLIAM AND OLIVIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT RIGHT FROM THE MOMENT THAT I SAID I WANTED TO ENTER POLITICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE, SO THANK YOU TEAM. I LOVE YOU LOTS. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) AND TOMORROW MORNING NEW ZEALANDERS ARE GONNA WAKE UP TO NOT ONLY A NEW DAY, BUT THE PROMISE OF A NEW GOVERNMENT AND A NEW DIRECTION. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) AND THIS GREAT COUNTRY OF OURS HAS SO, SO MUCH POTENTIAL, AND OUR NEW GOVERNMENT WILL HELP REALISE IT. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I AM HUMBLED BY TONIGHT'S SUPPORT, BUT I'M ENERGISED BY IT TOO. I CANNOT WAIT TO GET STUCK IN AND TO GET TO WORK, BECAUSE NEW ZEALANDERS HAVE CHOSEN CHANGE AND OUR NEW GOVERNMENT WILL DELIVER IT. AND WE WILL GET THIS COUNTRY... BACK ON TRACK. CROWD: ...BACK ON TRACK. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, AND GOOD NIGHT. WATCHING THAT AND NO DOUBT DELIGHTING IN HIS PARTY'S PERFORMANCE WAS NATIONAL'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER CHRIS BISHOP. HOW MANY HOURS SLEEP? YOU ARE LOOKING FRESH. THAT IS THE MAKE UP TEAM. THEY HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT. CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING HUTT SOUTH. STILL A FEW SPECIALS TO CUT. YOU DON'T WANT TO CUT YOUR CHICKENS YET. I HAVE NOT WRITTEN AS CONCESSION SPEECH AND AM NOT DECLARING VICTORY. WHAT YOU THINK OF THE RESULT? DELIGHTED. 39% OF THE VOTE, ALMOST 39 ` A STRONG POSITION TO FORM A GOVERNMENT WITH ACT. WE ARE DELIGHTED. WHAT DO YOU PUT THAT DOWN TO? PEOPLE GOT INTO THE BALLOT BOX AND LOOKED AT THE TRACK RECORD OF THE LAST SIX YEARS AND SET AM I BETTER OFF NOW THAN I WAS SIX YEARS AGO? IS THE COUNTRY BETTER OFF? I THINK THEY ANSWERED THAT HONESTLY AND SAID WE ARE NOT. THEY LOOKED AT THE NATIONAL PARTY AND SAW THAT WE HAVE AN ALTERNATE LEADER THEY CAN PUT SOME CONFIDENCE AND. INTERESTING YOU ARE SUGGESTING IT WAS MAYBE A PROTEST VOTE AGAINST LABOUR ` AND ELECTION AT LABOUR LOST RATHER THAN A NATIONAL ONE. ALL ELECTIONS ARE ABOUT CONTRAST AND CHOICES. WHEN INCUMBENT GOVERNMENTS GO UP, SICKLY AFTER SIX OR NINE YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE TO WEIGH UP THE TRACK RECORD AND WHETHER THAT WILL KEEP GOING, AND THEY HAVE TO WEAR OUT THE ALTERNATIVES. IT IS COMPARE AND CONTRAST OF THE LAST FEW YEARS AND WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT HOLD. I AM NOT SAYING PROTEST VOTE, BUT PEOPLE CLEARLY LOOKED AT THE LAST SIX YEARS, AND IN A LOT OF AREAS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FOUND WANTING. THEY WILL ADMIT THAT ON THINGS LIKE HOUSING AND LIGHT-RAIL, SOME OF THOSE FLAGSHIP PROMISES, WHICH YOU HAVE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH, THEY HAVE NOT DELIVERED. THEY LOOKED AT NATIONAL AND COULD SEE AN ALTERNATIVE, AND THAT IS ULTIMATELY LED TO THE STRONG VOTE. USE IT TO ME THAT NATIONAL AND ACT ARE IN A STRONG POSITION TO FORM A GOVERNMENT TOGETHER. 61 SEATS AND A 121 SEAT PARLIAMENT ` THERE WILL BE A BY-ELECTION IMPORT WAIKATO. YOU WOULD HOPE TO PICK UP THAT SEAT, BUT THEN YOU WILL NEED 62 SEATS TO COMMAND A MAJORITY. ARE YOU GOING TO NEED WINSTON PETERS SUPPORT? LET'S WAIT AND SEE. THERE ARE A LOT OF SPECIAL BOATS TO COUNT. THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION HAS JUST RELEASED THE NUMBER AND IT IS OVER 580,000 SPECIAL BOATS. *VOTES LET'S WAIT AND SEE. TRADITIONALLY, NATIONAL LOSES ONE OR TWO SEATS ON THE SPECIALS. I EXPECT WE WILL LOSE AT LEAST ONE, AND SO WE WILL DIMINISH AND SOME OF THOSE ELECTORATES I THINK YOU MENTIONED WILL FLIP. IF YOU LOSE ONE, THAT ANSWERS IT. IF YOU LOSE ONE, YOU NEED WINSTON PETERS TO FORM A GOVERNMENT. LET'S WAIT AND SEE. BUT IF YOU LOSE ONE, THAT'LL BE THE CASE, PROVIDED YOU DON'T LOSE IT TO ACT. AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FORMULATIONS. WE HAVE A COLLOCATION WITH A BY-ELECTION IN PORT WAIKATO. THERE ARE SPECIAL BOATS THAT MIGHT AFFECT OTHER ASPECTS OF IT SO LET'S WAIT AND SEE. YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD CHRISTOPHER LUXON AND HIS SPEECH LAST NIGHT, VERY DELIBERATELY SAY LOOKS LIKE ON THE CURRENT NUMBERS WE CAN FORM A GOVERNMENT WITH ACT. HE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT MR PETERS AND NEW ZEALAND FIRST AND MR PETERS OWN COMMENTS AT HIS GATHERING THAT HE WANTED TO PLAY A CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE. WHAT PHONE CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE FROM CHRISTOPHER LUXON TO OTHER PARTY LEADERS SO FAR? HE HAS TALKED TO DAVID SEYMOUR. AS HE TALKED TO WINSTON PETERS? NO. DOES HE INTEND TO TALK TO HIM TODAY? WE SET UP REFERENCE DURING THE CAMPAIGN WAS TO GOVERN WITH ACT, AND ESSENTIALLY ON THE CURRENT NUMBERS, THAT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED ` THE PUBLIC IS GIVEN AT NATIONAL AND ACT A STRONG MANDATE. IT MAY BE THAT WITH THE SPECIALS, THE NUMBERS BOUNCE AROUND. IF REQUIRED, WE SAID THAT WE WOULD PICK UP THE PHONE TO MR PETERS, AND IT MAY WELL BE THAT AS NECESSARY TO FORM A STRONG AND STABLE GOVERNMENT. SO YOU WILL WAIT UNTIL THE SPECIALS I WENT TO MAKE THAT CONTACT? IT IS TOO EARLY TO DISCUSS THAT. WE HAVE A MEETING THIS AFTERNOON TO DISCUSS THAT. IT IS LITERALLY THE MORNING AFTER. PEOPLE'S ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON THE RUGBY GAME. KNOW IT IS NOT, EVERYONE IS WATCHING US NOW. LET'S DIGESTER BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE NOT HAD A BIT OF SLEEP. WE WILL NO DOUBT BE DISCUSSING THAT. LET'S TALK ABOUT AUCKLAND ` MT ROSKILL LOOKS LIKELY TO STAY. HARD TO SEE THAT GOING. TE ATATU, LABOUR'S PHIL TWYFORD IS BEHIND BY ABOUT 30 VOTES, SO THAT IS IN CONTEST. THAT WILL PROBABLY GO BACK TO LABOUR. NEW LYNN, NATIONAL CANDIDATE CURRENTLY AHEAD. TAKANINI, NATIONAL CANDIDATE COMFORTABLE IN WINNING. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT CENTRE-MENT IN OUR BIGGEST CITY? MOST LABOUR STRATEGIES WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TO PICK UP THOSE AREAS. WE HAVE RUN A STRONG CAMPAIGN AGAINST SOUTHWEST AND EAST AUCKLAND. WE ARE PICKING UP A BIG PARTY BOAT SWINGS AND SOME OF THOSE SEATS. WE HAVE RUN A STRONG CAMPAIGN IN SOUTH AUCKLAND AS WELL. MANUREWA, THAT CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. HAS NOT WON THE SET, BUT NATIONAL HAS DONE BETTER THERE THAN PREVIOUS YEARS. AUCKLAND IS GENERALLY PRETTY ANNOYED WITH THE GOVERNMENT, THE OUTGOING LABOUR ADMINISTRATION. I THINK THAT'S DOES DATE BACK TO LOCKDOWN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WHEN AUCKLAND BORE THE BRUNT OF THAT LONG EXTENDED LOCKDOWN ON THE BACK HALF OF 2021. YOU COULD SET A PALPABLE SENSE OF ANGER ON THE STREETS AND THE ZOOM CHATS AROUND THAT TIME. I THINK THERE WAS A BIT OF LEGACY OF THAT. AUCKLAND IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE LIGHT RAIL IS A EXAMPLE OF THAT GOVERNMENT FAILURE. AUCKLAND HAS BEEN A STRONG RESULT OF NATIONAL. IT IS FASCINATING TO LOOK AT THE RESULTS AS THEY STAND ` SOME VERY SENIOR MPS WILL BE OUT OF PARLIAMENT. NANAIA MAHUTA HAS CONCEDED. MICHAEL WOOD IS WELL BEHIND AND LOOK TO BE OUT OF PARLIAMENT. IF YOU CAN TRY AND REMOVE YOUR BIAS AND KEEP YOUR POLITICAL NERD HAT ON, WHAT DOES THIS KIND OF RESULTS DUE TO A PARTY IN TERMS OF DAMAGE, HAVING BEEN THERE YOURSELF THREE YEARS AGO? I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO INVOLVED IN THE WEEDS OF THE LABOUR PARTY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. WE HAVE BEEN THERE AND IT IS NOT A PLEASANT SITUATION. THEY HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTES AS WE GOT IN 2020. ON THE CURRENT NUMBERS, THEY HAVE 34 MPS, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAD AS WELL. A DIMINISHED CAUCUS LIKE THAT, I AM EVER WALKING INTO THE ROOM AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION. WE ENDED UP WITH 34 FROM 58. 23 MPS, WE GAVE HIM THE SILVER TRAY AND SAID THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. SOME OF THOSE GUYS HAD BEEN THERE FOR ONE TERM. THAT HITS YOU HARD. THEY ARE GOING FROM 65, IS WHAT THEY STARTED THE GOVERNMENT WITH, DOWN TO MID 30S. THE CAUCUS HAS BASICALLY HALVED, AND IT WILL BE BRITTLE. *BRUTAL I FEEL FOR THOSE GUYS. ON THE NUMBERS AS THEY STAND, HOW LONG IS IT LIKELY TO TAKE UNTIL WE FORM A GOVERNMENT? UNTIL CHRISTOPHER LUXON CAN GO TO THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND SAY I HAVE THE NUMBERS? IT CANNOT HAPPEN UNTIL THE SPECIAL BOATS ARE IN, AND THAT IS A COUPLE OF WEEKS ` FRIDAY, 3 NOVEMBER IS WHEN THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION WILL DECLARE THE FINAL RESULTS. NOTHING CAN HAPPEN UNTIL THEN. THERE IS A QUESTION TO BE DETERMINED OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO AROUND HOW MUCH OF THAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE SPECIAL BOATS ACCOUNTED WE WILL HAVE A DEBRIEF AND DIGESTS TODAY. I AM RELUCTANT TO GET AHEAD OF THE LEADER OF THE NATIONAL PARTY. THE TAKE-HOME POINT AS THE GOVERNMENT HAS CHANGED. THAT IS VERY CLEAR ON LAST NIGHTS NUMBERS. THERE IS A STRONG MANDATE FOR NATIONAL TO FORM THAT GOVERNMENT. THE PRIME MINISTER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT AND WILL GET ON WITH THAT IN DUE COURSE. CONGRATULATIONS STAY WITH US. HOKI MAI. WELCOME BACK TO THIS Q+A TWO-HOUR SPECIAL, AS WE GO THROUGH THE RESULTS FROM THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTION. WITH US THIS MORNING ARE FORMER LABOUR MP AND CEO OF COMMUNITY LAW NZ, SUE MORONEY, AND FORMER NATIONAL STAFFER, EVERYONE'S FAVOURITE LOBBYIST, BEN THOMAS. I didn't know how to introduce you, BEN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE RESULTS FROM LAST NIGHT? NATIONAL AND ACT WILL BE EXTREMELY HAPPY AS A BLOCK. THEY OUTPERFORMED THE POLLS. INCREDIBLE INCURSIONS MADE INTO LABOUR TERRITORY ELECTRIC SEATS. THEY ALL EXPECTED THE TIDE WOULD GO BACK OUT, THE RED TIDE; THEY DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE A PARTING OF THE RED SEA. THEY WILL BE VERY HAPPY, LOOKING ON THOSE SPECIALS. AT THE SAME TIME, IN A STRONG POSITION, EVEN IF THEY NEED SUPPORT FROM NEW ZEALAND FIRST. WHAT A WILD RIDE! THE WHOLE PANDEMIC SITUATION HAS BEEN THREE YEARS AGO. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A REVERSE SITUATION. THAT IS A HUGE TURNAROUND IN THREE YEARS OF A POLITICAL TERM. LISTENING TO CHRIS BISHOP TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY FACED THREE YEARS AGO, THAT IS THE LABOUR PARTY TODAY. THERE WILL BE A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. THAT IS PUTTING IT MILDLY. SOME OF THE ELECTORATE RESULTS WERE SHOCKING. I DON'T THINK ANYONE ANTICIPATED THAT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM. A LOT TO THINK ABOUT, A LOT GOING ON LAST NIGHT. IT WAS HARD TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY. IT WAS CRAZY TO SEE SUCH A SHIFT. YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE WE WERE LAST IN THREE YEARS AGO, LABOUR HAD 50% OF THE VOTE, THE FIRST MAJORITY GOVERNMENT AND MMP HISTORY. 26.9% OF THE CURRENT COUNT. WHETHER THE PARTY GO WRONG? IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE TURNOUT NUMBERS. AT THE MOMENT, 78.4%, SO TURNOUT IS WELL DOWN, BY ABOUT THREE OR 4%. WE SAW EARLIER VOTES WERE DOWN ON THREE YEARS AGO, PARTICULARLY AROUND SOUTH AUCKLAND. TURNOUT WAS VERY POOR IN PARTS OF SOUTH AUCKLAND. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE STRONGHOLDS OF WHERE LABOUR HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN AND THE CITY OF AUCKLAND HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONGHOLD FOR LET LABOUR PARTY, WHAT WAS THE ORGANISATION LIKE IN AUCKLAND? I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIME THEY HAD THE BY-ELECTION IN HAMILTON. THE LABOUR MACHINE ROLLED OVER THE BOMBAY'S, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. THERE IS SOME QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED ABOUT ORGANISATION ON THE GROUND. 2020 AND 2017, THE LABOUR PARTY DIDN'T NEED ITS GROUND GAME AS MUCH AS IT NORMALLY DOES. I WONDER WHERE THERE IS MUSCLE MEMORY OVER THAT PERIOD. THE PERIOD WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO OUT AND CAMPAIGN ON THE DOORSTEP. THAT HAS BEEN TRADITIONAL FOR LABOUR. IT HAS BEEN THE STRENGTH OF THE LABOUR PARTY, THE GROUND GAME, THE PERSON-TO-PERSON GROUND GAME. I'M NOT SURE WE SAW THAT THIS TIME AROUND. DID NATIONAL WIN OR LABOUR LOSE? NATIONAL ROAD THE WAVE. THIS IS THE LAST YEAR AND �; THEY HAVE BEEN RUNNING A SMALL TARGET CAMPAIGN. THEY HAVE BEEN LASER FOCUSED ON COST OF LIVING. THEY HAPPEN TOTALLY UPFRONT ABOUT THAT. THIS IS AN ELECTION THAT WAS DECIDED BY TRENT. YOU CAN'T BEAT THE TRENDS, EXTERNAL FORCES. NATIONAL PLAYED ON IT CLEVERLY. THEY WROTE THAT TO A VERY GOOD VICTORY. DID LABOUR SUFFER FOR NOT PURSUING A MORE AGGRESSIVE OR PERHAPS AMBITIOUS POLICY BATTLE? HARD TO TELL. IS IT POLICY WITH A FELL DOWN OR IS IT A RECORD OF DELIVERY? AS IT DISAPPOINTMENT ON A HUGE NUMBER OF FRONTS, IN TERMS OF THE REDUCED TURNOUT FROM THE LAST ELECTION. WE SAW A BIG SPIKE IN TURNOUT LAST ELECTION. THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE WANTING TO REWARD LABOUR FOR THAT FIRST YEAR OF PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT, RIGHTLY. WE HAD A COST OF LIVING CRISIS, INTEREST RATE RISING, INFLATION OUT OF CONTROL. ALL THOSE DELIVERY FAILURES, LIGHT RAIL, KIWI BILLS CAME BACK TO THE FOUR. THERE WAS THE DISAPPOINTMENT FROM PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THAT LABOUR WOULD KEEP OUR COVID 19 FOREVER. THAT ARRIVED, THEY WERE DISGRUNTLED. IT WAS A LOT. THEY WERE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO HOLD TOGETHER AN 82% TURNOUT IN 50% VOTE. WOULD A MORE RADICAL LEFT-WING PLATFORM HAVE KEPT THAT BASE? THEY SEEM TO HAVE KEPT THE CORE LABOUR VOTE, THE FLOOR. AROUND THE WORLD, YOU WILL SEE THE INCUMBENT GOVERNMENTS AS THEY TRY AND DEAL WITH THE OUTCOMES OF COVID 19. THEY ARE ALL SUFFERING THIS TYPE OF SWING AGAINST THEM. IN THAT CONTEXT, THIS IS NOT UNEXPECTED, BUT THE BREATH OF IT WAS SHOCKING, PARTICULARLY WITH ELECTORATES. ELECTORATES, MAORI. THAT WAS REMARKABLE TO SEE LAST NIGHT. 2.6% PARTY VOTE WINNING FOR ELECTORATES. THAT RESULT IN A PARLIAMENTARY OVERHANG. TO ELECTRICS PEOPLE WILL BE SURPRISED BY. HAURAKI WAIKATO. THE FALL OF TWO DYNASTY'S. I GOT THIS ONE TOTALLY WRONG, BECAUSE I WAS GOING ON THE NATIONAL POLLING FOR THE MAORI PARTY. I THOUGHT THEIR MOMENTUM HAD STALLED OR GONE BACKWARDS. MAORI VOTERS SHOWED US AGAIN THEY ARE THE BEST STRATEGIC VOTERS IN THE COUNTRY. A GREAT HALL OF SEATS. AS MAIKI THE SAYING, THE MARGIN, THEY WERE RUNNING AWAY. I DON'T THINK ANYONE SAW THAT ONE COMING. CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE. THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WITH THEIR CAMPAIGNING. IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT AFFECTS THE DYNAMICS IN TERMS OF THE HOUSE. AND OVERHANG OF 121, RESULTING IN SEATS IN THE WAIKATO BY-ELECTION TO COME WILL BE 122 MEMBER PARLIAMENT, WHICH MEANS YOU NEED A 62 SEAT CHARITY. PLUS WHATEVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, IS IT LIKELY IN THE CURRENT NUMBERS THAT ACT AND NATIONAL WILL NEED THE SUPPORT OF NEW ZEALAND FIRST? SPECIAL VOTES WILL BE INTERESTING, BECAUSE QUITE A NUMBER OF THOSE OVERSEAS BOATS. NOT AS MANY AS I EXPECTED, ABOUT 15%, HOW THAT AFFECTS THE TOTAL, WE DON'T KNOW. SPECIALS ARE USUALLY FAVOURING PARTIES ON THE LEFT BLOCK. IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHAT NEW ZEALANDERS OVERSEAS ARE MAKING OF THE SITUATION BACK HERE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET EYES OVER THAT. TRADITIONALLY, THE SPECIAL VOTES HAVE FAVOURED THE LEFT. DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS TIME AROUND. THERE ARE SOME UNEXPECTED RESULTS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING. IS INTERESTING TO HEAR CHRIS BISHOP LOOK TO THE PAST FOR GUIDANCE ON THAT AND SAY, WE WILL PROBABLY LOSE THE SEAT. IF THEY DO LOSE A SEAT, THAT DOES MEAN THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH WINSTON PETERS. DO YOU EXPECT CHRISTOPHER LUXTON WILL WORK ON THAT BEFORE THE SPECIAL VOTES ARE IN? I WOULDN'T THINK THERE WOULD BE ANY, KIND OF FORMER TALKS BUT THERE MIGHT BE A CARD OF CONGRATULATIONS ON RE-ENTRY, MAY BE A FRUIT BASKET. MAY BE A CUP OF TEA. I WOULDN'T EXPECT A FORMAL MEETING. WINSTON PETERS HAS ALWAYS SAID WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN US. IT IS IMPORTANT. IT COULD DEPEND ON SEATS CHANGING WITH SPECIAL VOTES. YOU CAN SEE THE GROUND WORK BEING LATE LAST NIGHT. PETERS IS VERY RELAXED. HE MIGHT EVEN THINK THAT HAVING PUSHED THE BOAT OUT VERY FAR, EVEN FOR NEW ZEALAND FIRST ON SOME OF THE ISSUES THE CAMPAIGN, THERE MIGHT BE A BIT OF RELIEF, AND THAT HE CAN CONCENTRATE ON ONE OR TWO MINOR GAINS. LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE OF A KORERO. NEW ZEALAND FIRST MADE IT BACK. BUT OUR VERY OWN WHENA OWEN WAS AT THE PARTY IN KORORAREKA RUSSEL LAST NIGHT, AND IT LOOKED LIKE QUITE THE PARTY. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) THE RT HON WINSTON PETERS IS IN THE HOUSE... AGAIN. I MUST SAY, THAT WHEN WE FIRST SAID, A FEW YEARS AGO, THAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE A COMEBACK, THEY ALL LAUGHED AT US. BUT THEY'RE NOT LAUGHING NOW, ARE THEY? AS THE SUN SET OVER THE BAY AT KORORAREKA, GUESTS, AND A HANDFUL OF NZ FIRST CANDIDATES ARRIVED IN GOOD SPIRITS... KIA ORA. KIA ORA. ...SHANE JONES AFTER AN AFTERNOON OF FISHING. IT'LL BE A FAR MORE... CONVIVIAL SPIRIT THAN IN 2020. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE IN 2020? THERE'S THAT PICTURE OF YOU SITTING AMONG THOSE BLACK AND WHITE BALLOONS, AND YOU'RE LOOKING VERY DEFLATED. YOU ` NOT THE BALLOONS. RAGGED RIBBONS, DEFLATED BALLOONS AND A LOST MATUA SHANE JONES. NOT THIS TIME AROUND. YOU DON'T THINK SO? NO, NO, NO, NO. LOOK, WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT. FAMILIAR FACES FROM THE NORTH WERE THERE, LIKE FORMER LABOUR PARTY MINISTER DOVER SAMUELS. THE MAN FROM THE SNOWY RIVER, IF YOU LIKE. ON THE HORSE, RIDING FROM THE... RIDING BACK FROM THE SUNSET INTO NEW ZEALAND POLITICS. TO DO WHAT? TO SAVE US ALL? WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S TO SAVE US ALL, BUT HE CERTAINLY BROUGHT A LITTLE BIT OF COLOUR AND A LITTLE BIT OF EXCITEMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE IN NEW ZEALAND. NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK OF WINSTON PETERS, HIS CAREER IN NEW ZEALAND POLITICS IS UNRIVALLED. HIS FIRST ELECTION CAMPAIGN WAS 48 YEARS AGO ` 1975. HE GOT INTO PARLIAMENT IN THE FOLLOWING ELECTION WITH NATIONAL. BUT IN THE EARLY '90s, AFTER A FALLING OUT... HE WAS IN FACT RUNNING A LONE RANGER OPERATION. ...STARTED HIS OWN PARTY, NEW ZEALAND FIRST. SINCE BECOMING AN MP IN 1979, HE'S ONLY HAD TWO TERMS OUT OF PARLIAMENT. HE'S HELD THE BALANCE OF POWER TWICE AND WAS FAMOUSLY ACCUSED OF KEEPING THE COUNTRY WAITING FOR A DECISION IN 1996. WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE A TALK ABOUT THINGS. WHAT SORT OF THINGS? THINGS THAT COME UP. HE WENT WITH NATIONAL THEN. HI, HELEN. AND IN 1999 WITH LABOUR. HE'S SERVED AS TREASURER, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TWICE AND HAD TWO STINTS AS FOREIGN MINISTER. NOW, HE'S TWO TIMES THE COMEBACK KING. NEW ZEALAND FIRST ANNOUNCED ITS COMEBACK TWO YEARS AGO. SO MANY CRITICS AND SCRIBES HAVE TRIED AND CONTINUE TO WRITE OUR OBITUARY. IT WAS SLOW GOING IN THE POLLS, BUT BY MID-SEPTEMBER, NEW ZEALAND FIRST HAD MOVED UP OVER THE 5% THRESHOLD. SO ON THESE NUMBERS, WINSTON PETERS IS BACK IN THE GAME. SPIRIT OF FESTIVITIES IS ABOUT TO KICK OFF. BACK AT THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH HOTEL, NEW ZEALAND FIRST SUPPORTERS WERE WATCHING THE PARTY VOTE CREEP UP OVER 6%. THAT WOULD MEAN TANYA UNKOVICH, NUMBER EIGHT ON THE LIST, MAY WELL BE IN. AND WHAT'S ATTRACTED YOU TO NEW ZEALAND FIRST? COMMON SENSE; PARTY FOR ALL OF NEW ZEALANDERS. OK. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR SORT OF ANTI-VAX OR SO-CALLED... SILLY COMMENTS. ARE THEY SILLY? SO YOU'RE NOT ON THE TELEGRAM 'NUREMBERG'? I'M FOCUSING ON NEW ZEALAND FIRST GETTING BACK INTO PARLIAMENT. NO OTHER COMMENTS. THANK YOU. ALL: # ALL NIGHT LONG. SO, AT THIS STAGE OF THE EVENING, THE NUMBERS ARE LOOKING GOOD FOR NEW ZEALAND FIRST. BUT WE ARE PLAYING 'WHERE'S WINSTON?' HE'S PROBABLY UPSTAIRS HERE IN THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH, NO DOUBT WITH A SCOTCH IN HIS HAND AND A SMILE ON HIS FACE. ELTON JOHN: # ONCE I NEVER COULDA HOPED TO WIN. # YOU'RE STARTING DOWN THE ROAD AND LEAVING ME AGAIN. # BUT WAS HE REALLY DANCING FOR JOY WHEN HE DID SHOW UP? NATIONAL AND ACT MAY NOT NEED HIM. THE NUMBER ONE OBJECTIVE HAD TO BE TO GET IN GOVERNMENT, THOUGH, I GUESS, THE QUESTION. NO, THE NUMBER ONE OBJECTIVE IS TO BE BACK, COS YOU CAN'T DO THE NUMBER TWO OBJECTIVE UNLESS YOU GET THE NUMBER ONE OBJECTIVE. WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION? YOU'VE BEEN AROUND LONGER THAN THESE GUYS. MR PETERS, WHEN YOU SAID IF WE CAN HELP, WE WILL, IS THAT A SIGNAL TO NATIONAL THAT MAYBE THEY'D LIKE ANOTHER COALITION PARTNER? NO, IT'S A GREAT STATEMENT OF PATRIOTISM. THIS PARTY IS CALLED NEW ZEALAND FIRST. WE HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) BUT NOW THE WAITING FOR THE FINAL NUMBERS. WHICH CANDIDATES ARE IN, AND WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR NEW ZEALAND FIRST? ALL THOSE CANDIDATES WHO SHOULD BE IN PARLIAMENT WITH US TONIGHT, THANK YOU FOR TRYING, AND HANG ON, BECAUSE THERE'S AN ELECTION IN 2026, AND WE'RE GETTING READY FOR IT. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) WE'RE CROSSING NOW TO A BEAUTIFUL KORORAREKA RUSSELL, WHERE SHANE JONES IS WAITING FOR US AND IS ONCE AGAIN AN MP. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING UP BRIGHT AND EARLY. LOOKS LIKE A GORGEOUS MORNING THERE. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RESULT. YOUR RESPONSE, YOUR REACTION TO THE RESULTS FROM LAST NIGHT? KIA ORA. IT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE TWO YEARS OF HARD WORK. OBVIOUSLY OUR LEADER, WINSTON, COVERED THE COUNTRY, PACKED THE TOWN HALLS. WE HAD A REALLY SPIRITED CAMPAIGN, AND THE DIVIDEND HAS ARRIVED. WHAT YOU MAKE OF THE ELECTION RESULTS MORE BROADLY? AS YOU KNOW, I CAME INTO POLITICS IN 05 WITH HELEN CLARK. THE RESULT MAORI SEATS REMINDS ME OF A TIME IN 1996, PITA DISAPPEARED IN THE DAYS OF HELEN CLARK. NOW THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES IN THE MAORI SEATS WHICH IS IRONIC. TALK TO US ABOUT THE JOKER IN THE PACK. WHAT YOU SEE THE ROLE OF NEW ZEALAND FIRST BEING IN THE NEXT GOVERNMENT? TOO EARLY TO TELL. AS WINSTON SAID LAST NIGHT, LET'S WAIT. THE CARDS ARE STILL BEING SHUFFLED. IT IS BETWEEN 15 AND 20% OF THE VOTES THAT STILL NEED TO BE COUNTED. I WILL REMIND EVERYONE TO THOUSAND AND EIGHT, THE TORY VOTES WENT DOWN. IN SOME CASES, THEY LOST UP TO 2 SEATS. THERE IS A BIT OF AN CERTAINTY TO GO JUST YET. WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE LIKELIEST SCENARIO IS THAT NEW ZEALAND FIRST WILL BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO COMMAND A MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE? AS I SAID, I SAID THE NIGHT, EXCHANGING 80 GALLON OF PLONK FOR A VICTORY CIGAR. LET'S JUST TAIHO AND WAIT UNTIL ALL THE VOTES ARE COUNTED. WINSTON HAS SAID BOTH LAST NIGHT AND EARLIER DURING THE CAMPAIGN, WE ARE HERE TO PUT THE INTERESTS OF GARDEN VARIETY KIWIS TO THE FOUR. WINNERS WINSTON PETERS EXPECTING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH CHRISTOPHER LUXTON? I AM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHETHER OR NOT CHRISTOPHER LUXON HAS SENT ANY MESSAGES OUR WAY. A NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF HIS CAUCUS ARE WELL KNOWN TO US. MARK MITCHELL AND MYSELF, WE PLAYED IN THE GOLDEN ALDI RUGBY TEAM. THOSE DISCUSSIONS AT THIS STAGE OR ABOVE MY PAY GRADE. I WILL LEAVE IT, AS WE SAY IN THE NORTH, TO WINSTON. IF NEW ZEALAND FIRST AS A PART OF THE NEXT GOVERNMENT OR NEW ZEALAND FIRST SUPPORT MAKES UP THE FORMATION OF THE NEXT GOVERNMENT OR COMPONENT OF THE SUPPORT FOR NEXT GOVERNMENT, WILL BE THE PRIORITIES FOR YOUR PARTY? I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT DURING THE LEAD UP TO THIS CAMPAIGN, WE WERE MARGINALISED. OUR CONTRIBUTION WAS UNDERVALUED. THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN. THERE ARE ONGOING ISSUES STILL TO BE ADDRESSED PERTAINING TO THE WAY IN WHICH THE WHOLE COVID 19 EXPERIENCE WAS MANAGED. WINSTON AND I IN THE NORTH WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE TREATY IS NOT CONTINUALLY UNHINGED FROM ITS HISTORIC MOORINGS. NOTHING TRUMPS THE UNCERTAINTY, ANXIETY THAT GARDEN VARIETY KIWIS FEEL ABOUT PAYING BILLS AND BEING SECURE. WE CAMPAIGNED ON THESE THINGS. ONE OF THE DYNAMICS THAT IS MOST INTERESTING TO ME ON THE RESULTS LAST NIGHT IS THAT AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE SEEING AT RECORD ITS STRONGEST EVER RESULT, NEW ZEALAND FIRST RETURN TO PARLIAMENT AND NATIONAL RECORDING A STRONG RESULT. ACT IN NEW ZEALAND FIRST HAVE CAMPAIGNED WITH STRONG MESSAGES AROUND THE ROLE OF THE TREATY IN NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY IN NEW ZEALAND LAW, NEW ZEALAND GOVERNANCE. COMPARE THAT WITH THE HE MEA TAUTOKO NA TE MANGAI PAHO.. HOW DO YOU SEE THOSE DYNAMICS AND DIVIDE IN POLITICS PLAYING OUT IN THE NEXT PULMONARY TERM? IN 1975, WINSTON WAS THE LAWYER FOR THE NGATI WAI. EYE ROSE TO BE THE TREATY OF THE FISHERIES. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THE TREATY THAT CAN BE TAUGHT TO WINSTON AND I. ONE THING THAT WE ARE NOT IN A GRIEVANCE IS THE MOVEMENT AWAY FROM A BICULTURAL, BILINGUAL COMPREHENSION OF THE TREATY. THIS NOTION THAT YOU CAN ONLY UNDERSTAND THE TREATY THROUGH THE MAORI LANGUAGE, THAT IS BOTH WRONG AND IT NEEDS TO BE RESTORED TO WHERE ANY JURY IN GENERATION, WHO KICKED OFF THE TREATY EXPERIENCE, AND SB PUT BACK INTO A BALANCED POSITION. WHAT IS ON THE CARDS TODAY? YESTERDAY WAS FISHERIES. HOPEFULLY I'M GOING TO CATCH THE END OF THE ALL BLACKS GAME. YOU CAN HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF SHOUTING IN THE BACKGROUND. WHAT IS BLACK AND WHITE IN TERMS OF RESTORING US TO PARLIAMENT LAST NIGHT, AND ALL GOING WELL, THERE WILL BE AN ALL BLACKS VICTORY THIS MORNING. ON THAT NOTE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND GETTING UP EARLY THIS MORNING. WELCOME BACK. IF YOU'RE JUST TUNING IN, LET'S CONSIDER THE NUMBERS. AS THEY STAND IN THE ELECTION LAST NIGHT ` ACT RECORDS ITS BEST EVER RESULT. TE PATI MAORI, KEEP IN MIND THEY LOOK SET TO WIN FOR ELECTORATE SEATS. HAVE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN THE HOUSE. THIS IS WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN. FOR ELECTORATE SEATS MEANS WE FACE A PARLIAMENTARY OVERHANG ` AND OVERHANG OF ONE SEAT THAT IS LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED TO 2 SEATS ONCE THE BY-ELECTION IN PORT WAIKATO IS HELD. NATIONAL AND ACT CURRENTLY WOULD HAVE 61 SEATS. THAT WOULD GIVE THEM A MAJORITY BUT WITH NO BREATHING ROOM. IF NATIONAL WERE TO WIN THE PORT WAIKATO BY-ELECTION, THE INCUMBENT MP ANDREW BAYLY IS LIKELY THE FAVOURITE AT THIS STAGE, THEY WOULD HAVE A MAJORITY OF 62 SEATS IN A 122 SEAT PARLIAMENT. HOWEVER, A NARROW MAJORITY WITH NO BREATHING ROOM. REMARKABLE TO LOOK AT THE PERFORMANCE OF SOME OF THOSE THIRD PARTIES ` WHAT WILL THE FUTURE HOLD? I CAN TELL YOU IT IS A FUTURE OF CHANGE, A FUTURE OF REAL CHANGE, AND A FUTURE WHERE ONCE AGAIN, NZ IS THE BEST LITTLE COUNTRY THAT CAN. BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT EACH PERSON HAS A RIGHT TO MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE IN THEIR OWN LIVES, THAT WE ARE NOT SUBJECT TO SOME GOVERNMENT THAT DECIDES FOR US, AND THOSE ARE THE VALUES THAT HAVE BROUGHT PEOPLE TO THESE SHORES FOR GENERATIONS AND MADE NZ THE COUNTRY THAT IT IS. WE THANK YOU AGAIN. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) SO FOR EVERYBODY HERE WHO'S MADE THIS CAMPAIGN POSSIBLE AND PARTICIPATED IN OUR DEMOCRACY TONIGHT, HAVE A CELEBRATION. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT FOR NZ, NORTH AND SOUTH, MEN AND WOMEN, RICH AND POOR, AND FROM EVERY RACE, CLASS OR CREED, THERE IS A BETTER TOMORROW, AND WE GET TO WORK ON MAKING IT HAPPEN AFTER THIS HISTORIC VOTE ` NOT JUST FOR CHANGE, BUT FOR REAL CHANGE, TO BE AT OUR BEST, TO BE OUR BOLDEST, AND TO BE THE NZ THAT WE'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED WE CAN BE. (CHEERING) THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU HAVE DONE THIS. YOU HAVE DONE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. (CHEERING) DAVID SEYMOUR IS WITH US LIVE. CONGRATULATIONS. THAT MORNING AND THANK YOU. DID YOU GET ANY SLEEP? I SLEPT WELL. I NOTICED THE TIE IS THE SAME AS LAST NIGHT, I AM ASSUMING YOU HAVE NOT SLEPT IN THAT. THIS IS MY FAVOURITE THAI. *TIE I THOUGHT I SHOULD WEAR IT BECAUSE I AM TALKING TO YOU. WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE RESULTS? NEW ZEALANDERS HAVE VOTED FOR CHANGE. THERE HAS BEEN A RECORD RESULT FACT, WHICH WAS WE TAKE AS A SIGN THAT THERE IS A SIZEABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANT THAT CHANGE TO BE REAL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND GETTING STUCK IN IT TO REPAY THE TRUST VOTERS HAVE PUT ON US. HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS TO PRODUCTS AND YET? WE HAVE. NOT THIS MORNING, BUT ALTHOUGH YESTERDAY WE WERE TALKING. WE WILL HAVE TO TALK A LOT MORE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. DID YOU COMMUNICATE LAST NIGHT? WE DID NOT LAST NIGHT, AND CERTAINLY NOT AFTER 8 O'CLOCK. FESTIVAL, ABSOLUTELY, AT BEST EVER PERFORMANCE. THAT WILL RETURN YOU TO PARLIAMENT WITH 11 MPS. AS THEY ARE PART OF YOU THAT WISHES IT COULD BE A BIT HIGHER? JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, YOU WERE THE DOUBLE FIGURES FOR THE LONGEST TIME. OF COURSE, YOU ALWAYS WISH YOU HAD DONE BETTER. PEOPLE WILL ASK, WHAT HAPPENED? I THINK ACT TOLD A SERIES OF TRUTHS. FESTIVAL, WE NEED AN HONEST CONVERSATION AROUND THE ROLE OF THE TREATY IN MODERN SOCIETY. THE GOVERNMENT'S BOOKS ARE IN A TERRIBLE SHAPE AND WE WILL HAVE TO REDUCE EXPENDITURE. WE ARE GOING TO STICK TO OUR GUNS AND FIGHT FOR THOSE CHANGES IN ANY GOVERNING FORMAT. A LOT OF THOSE TRUTHS I THINK NEED TO BE TOLD, BUT OFTEN WERE NOT WELL RECEIVED, AND THAT IS REALITY. THE FACTORS WE GOT A RECORD RESULT BY BEING TRUE TO OURSELVES AND ARE NOW IN A POSITION TO DO WHAT WE SEE IS THE IMPORTANT CHANGE NEW ZEALAND REQUIRES SO IT CAN REACH THE POTENTIAL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE ONE AFTER THAT. DO YOU THINK IT IS LIKELY NATIONAL AND ACT WOULD REQUIRE THE SUPPORT OF NEW ZEALAND 1ST TO FORM A GOVERNMENT? IT IS POSSIBLE BUT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT LIKELY. IF YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT, YOU HAVE TO RESPECT EVERY VOTE, AND NOT EVERYONE HAS BEEN COUNTED YET. THOSE SPECIAL BOATS WILL BECOME TO THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. LET'S SEE WHAT THAT DELIVERS. THE PORT WAIKATO BY-ELECTION, AND I ACKNOWLEDGE THE LOSS OF OUR CANDIDATE THERE, THAT CREATES ANOTHER CONSTITUTIONAL WRINKLE. THERE ARE A FEW BALLS UP IN THE YEAR. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT ACT HAS GOT A STRONG MANDATE, SOME SUPPORT AND VERY TALENTED MPS COMING IN IN ADDITION TO OUR RETURNING ONCE, AND ALSO A BIG DEBT TO REPAY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUT THEIR TRUST IN US. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON DOING IT REGARDLESS OF WHAT GOVERNING FORMAT IMAGES AFTER THE SPECIAL BOATS. *VOTES WITH A TWO-PARTY GOVERNMENT PROVIDE NEW ZEALANDERS WITH A MORE STABLE GOVERNMENT AND ONE INVOLVING THREE PARTIES? BASICALLY IT IS MATHEMATICS. IT'LL BE SIMILAR TO HAVE TWO PARTIES YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLEARLY SEE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER. IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT CHRISTOPHER LUXON AND I HAVE BEEN SAYING, WE HAVE A STRONG PREFERENCE TO WORK TOGETHER. WHILE THERE ARE DIFFERENCES ON HOW FAR WE SHOULD GO AND HOW WE SHOULD GET THERE, WE HAVE BOUGHT AGREEMENTS NEW ZEALAND NEEDS TO CHANGE AND WE HAVE TO MAKE STATE SERVICES A LOT MORE EFFICIENT. THERE HAS TO BE A CHANGE AROUND CRIME AND LAW & ORDER. THERE HAS TO BE A CHANGE AROUND OUR IDENTITY AS NEW ZEALANDERS. BASICALLY, YOU CAN FILL IN THE DETAILS UNDER THOSE HEADINGS, BUT YOU HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT CAN WORK WELL TOGETHER. AS SOON YOU BRING IN 1/3 MOVING PARTS, IT IS MORE COMPLEX. THAT MIGHT STILL BE THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, AND WE WILL RESPECT THAT. TALK ABOUT THE TAMAKI ELECTORATE. WERE SO PROUD OF BROOKE. I HAVE KNOWN HER FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS. SHE HAS A SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL AND A TALENTED AND HARD-WORKING INDIVIDUAL. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT SHE HAS DONE, IT HELPS SHE IS ALWAYS WEARING THE SAME COLOUR. SHE HAS MANAGED TO MAKE YOURSELF SO VISIBLE THAT SHE IS SEEN AS BEING EVERYWHERE, AND SHE HAS BEEN. SHE HAS NOT LEFT TAMAKI FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS ` DOORKNOCKING, DELIVERED MAIL, GONE INTO SHOPS AND HELD PUBLIC MEETINGS ` SHE HAS DONE LITTLE. I THINK SHE WILL MAKE AN EXCELLENT LOCAL MP FOR PEOPLE IN TAMAKI. BACK TO THE MATHS. ACT IS A BIT OF CASH, RIGHT? NOT GOING TO REVEAL THAT. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE PEOPLE` AROUND 16,000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE DONATIONS TO US. THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW AGGRESSIVELY AT INTENDS TO CONTEST PORT WAIKATO RELATIVE TO OTHER ELECTORATES? WE HAVE NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. WITH YOU THAT BY-ELECTION THROUGH THE LENS OF THE PERSON THAT WE LOST THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CAMPAIGN. AND THEN WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE SELECTION, BUT CERTAINLY WE WILL` ALMOST CERTAINLY STAND A CANDIDATE, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO THINK THROUGH WHAT THE OBLIGATIONS OF THAT MIGHT BE. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT GIVEN THE SWING TOWARDS THE RIGHT, GIVEN THE MAJORITY ANDREW BAYLY ALREADY HAD, HE WOULD BE FAIRLY SAFE, BUT IT IS UP TO THE PEOPLE OF PORT WAIKATO. INTERESTING TO LOOK AT THE RESULTS AND SOME OF THE MAORI ELECTORATES. TE PATI MAORI WILL RETURN WITH FOUR MPS, CONTRIBUTING TO THE OVERHANG. THAT IS A PARTY THAT EXPRESSLY SEES IT IS A TIRITI-LED PARTY. GIVEN YOU HAVE SET A PRIORITY AS A FRIEND ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE TREATY, HOW DO YOU SEE THOSE DYNAMICS ARE PLAYING OUT IN THE NEXT PARLIAMENTARY TERM? AT ONE END OF THE SPECTRUM, THEY ARE TIRITI-LED, AND THAT YOU HAVE ACT WITH ITS HIGHEST EVER CAUCUS. YOU MAY BE READING A BIT TOO MUCH INTO THAT TE PATI MAORI RESULT. LABOUR HAS LOST ELECTORATES TO ABOUT EVERY PARTY. IF YOU HAD TOLD ME` NANAIA MAHUTA IS RANGATIRA. MANY PEOPLE HEADING INTO YESTERDAY'S ELECTION WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THOSE SEATS TO HOLD. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED MICHAEL WOODS SEAT TO HOLD. YOU ARE AT LEAST, ON THAT ISSUE, IDEOLOGICAL ABOUT AS FAR APART AS POSSIBLE. I CHALLENGE THE PREMISE THERE, BUT PUTTING THAT ASIDE, I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT IF THEY ARE TIRITI-LED, THAT IS FINE, BUT WE WANT THE TREATY TO BE UNDERSTOOD. THE MISCONCEPTION IS THAT ACTS IDEAS AROUND THE TREATY DIMINISH IT. THE OPPOSITE ` WE WANT TO MORE DEEPLY AND TRIED THE TREATY WITHIN THE CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT, BUT A TREATY THAT IS PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD AS A DOCUMENT THAT, AS I HAVE SAID TO YOU, SAYS WE HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AND DUTIES ` A TREATY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER, RATHER THAN DIVIDES. IT IS THE INTERPRETATION AND MEANING THAT HAS BEEN GENERATED OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS THAT WE ARE OPPOSED TO. NO DOUBT WE WILL DISCUSS THIS ISSUE IN THE COMING MONTHS. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RESULT LAST NIGHT. WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN BIG, IT ALMOST INVARIABLY GOES OUT BIG AS WELL ` THAT IS THE NATURE OF POLITICS. BUT THE LABOUR PARTY IS STILL HERE. WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, AND WE WILL GET UP AGAIN, LIKE WE HAVE MANY TIMES BEFORE. (CHEERING, WHISTLING) (CHEERING AND WHISTLING CONTINUES) THANK YOU. THANK YOU, NEW ZEALAND, FOR THE HONOUR AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US TO SERVE AND TO MOVE NEW ZEALAND FORWARD. AND FINALLY, SOME SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, OUR LABOUR TEAM, OUR LABOUR WHANAU, OUR VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS UP AND DOWN NEW ZEALAND. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE. TO JILL DAY AND THE TEAM AT LABOUR PARTY HQ, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND ALL OF OUR MPS AND CANDIDATES DURING THIS CAMPAIGN. FINALLY TO MY FAMILY, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME. (CHEERING) THAT IS AN EMOTIONAL BUT DIGNIFIED CHRIS HIPKINS SPEAKING AT LABOUR PARTY HQ LAST NIGHT. MEGAN WOODS WAS LABOUR'S CAMPAIGN CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. POLITICS CAN BE BRUTAL SOMETIMES. YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN THE LAST THREE YEARS; YOU KNOW WHAT THINGS ARE LIKE ON BOTH SIDES. CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR REACTION TO THE RESULT AS THEY STAND? KIA ORA. IT IS GREAT TO BE HERE. THIS IS NOT THE RESULT WE HOPED FOR OR WANTED, BUT AS YOU SAY, POLITICS CAN BE BRUTAL. CHRIS SUMMED IT UP REALLY WELL LAST NIGHT WHEN HE SAID TIDES THAT COME IN ALSO GO OUT. THE MOOD FOR CHANGE WAS SO STRONG OUT THERE. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS COMING THROUGH CLEARLY. WE HAVE SEEN THIS AROUND THE WORLD AS WELL, WITH COVID 19 INCUMBENT GOVERNMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO EVERYTHING THAT CHRIS SAID IN TERMS OF THANKING ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR US IN THE SELECTION. FROM THE CAMPAIGN PERSPECTIVE, IS ANYTHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND HAVE A LOOK AT THAT. IT IS TOO SOON TO MAKE THAT CALL. ONE OF THE THINGS IF I LOOK AT THE MECHANICS OF THE CAMPAIGN, THE NUMBER OF DOORS WE KNOCKED ON, THE PHONE CALLS WE MADE, ALL THAT DIRECT PHONE CONTACT THAT WE HAVE MADE, WE HAVE HAD A PHENOMENAL GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS AND DEDICATED CANDIDATES THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE WORKING HARD. AS WITH ANY CAMPAIGN, CERTAINLY WITH ANY LOSING CAMPAIGN, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND REVIEW THE CAMPAIGN. . WE WILL HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES ALL THOSE QUESTIONS AS YOU WOULD EXPECT WE WOULD WHAT DOES YOUR GUT SAY? WOULD IT HAVE BENEFITED THE PARTY TO RUN ON A MORE AMBITIOUS POLICY PLATFORM, PURSUE POLICIES AROUND TAX REFORM? IT IS TOO SOON TO SAY. A QUICK LOOK AT THE OVERALL ELECTORATES LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING, WE CAN SEE TURNOUT WAS DOWN. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT A 4% DECREASE FROM LAST ELECTION. WHAT WE CAN SEE IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT AUCKLAND HAS BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE LOST VOTE AND OR CONCEITS. WE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THIS SYSTEMATICALLY, BOTH FROM A CAMPAIGN MECHANIC, WHEN THE VOTES FAIL, WHERE THEY FELL. ALL THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT PROPERLY. I AM NOT GOING TO SPECULATE THIS MORNING. WHAT YOU EXPECT WILL HAPPEN ONCE THE SPECIAL VOTES ARE COUNTED, MORE THAN HALF A MILLION? IF PREVIOUS ELECTIONS ARE ANY GUIDE, YOU MIGHT SEE SOME MOVEMENT IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL SEAT ALLOCATION. THAT IS RIGHT. WE WILL SEE SOME MOVEMENT WITHIN SEATS. THERE ARE CLOSE SEATS OUT THERE. MARGINS OF LESS THAN 100 IN SOME CASES. WE MIGHT SEE SOME MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SEATS. WE COULD WELL SEE THE OVERALL ALLOCATION CHANGE. IT IS STILL A LIVE QUESTION, WHAT THE SHAPE OF THE GOVERNMENT IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO LOOK LIKE, WHETHER OR NOT NEW ZEALAND FIRST WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAKE A MAJORITY. THERE IS STILL SOME DAYS TO GO, WEEKS UNTIL THE FINAL VOTE COMES IN. THERE IS STILL TIME, HALF A MILLION VOTES STILL TO BE COUNTED. THAT IS A MASSIVE SLAB OF VOTE STILL TO BE COUNTED. IT IS FASCINATING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE ELECTORATES THAT EITHER FLIPPED FROM LABOUR TO NATIONAL OR LOOKED LIKELY TO FLIP OR HAVE ALLOWED FOR A NARROW LEAD FOR LABOUR CANDIDATES, PARTICULARLY IN AUCKLAND. I WILL RUN THROUGH SOME ELECTORATES. BUT RUSSELL. YOU LYNN. EVEN MOUNT ALBERT AT ONE STAGE LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT FAVOUR NATIONAL WITH MELISSA LEE. WHAT YOU PUT THAT SHIFT DOWN TO? THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND HAVE A LOOK AT. THAT FIRST LOOK AT THOSE SEATS IN AUCKLAND, WE CAN SEE TWO THINGS. WE CAN SEE THE TURNOUT AND SOME OF THOSE SEATS WAS RELATIVELY LOW, PARTICULARLY NOT ONLY THE SEATS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, BUT SOME OF OUR LABOUR STRONGHOLDS. WE HAD LOW TURNOUT IN THOSE SEATS. WE CAN SEE IN AUCKLAND, WE HAD LOST SOME GROUND. THAT IS TELLING. WE WILL SEE RESULTS. WE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND ANALYSE THIS PROPERLY. WITH ANY CAMPAIGN, WE WILL HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES THE HARD QUESTIONS. A COUPLE OF LAST QUESTIONS. REFLECT ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF TWO OF THE MORE SENIOR MPS IN YOUR PARTY THAT LOOK SET TO NOT RETURN TO PARLIAMENT, MICHAEL WOULD, NANAIA. THEY ARE TWO VERY SURPRISING RESULTS. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST TWO ELECTIONS, WHAT WILL ONCE CONSIDERED SAFE SEATS, THAT FLIP WITH THE OVERALL NATIONAL VOTE, COUNTRY WIDE VOTE WITH THEIR NATIONAL PARTY LAST ELECTION AND LABOUR THIS TIME, THIS IS QUITE NEW IN NEW ZEALAND POLITICS. THEY USED TO BE SEATS THAT YOU COULD BANK ON THAT COULD SURVIVE SWINGS. WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. THE REFLECTION, NANAIA HAS BEEN A LONG-TERM MP. SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH SOME TOUGH TIMES. SHE SURVIVED THE SEABED AND FORESHORE VOTE AND CAME THROUGH IN ONE THERE. SHE HAS BEEN SUCH AN ANCHOR FOR OUR PARTY FOR SO LONG. MICHAEL, HE CAME IN ON A BY-ELECTION WHEN PHIL GOFF LEFT TO TAKE UP OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. HE HAS CONTRIBUTED IMMENSE AMOUNT TO A CAUCUS AND TO US AS A CABINET. THEY ARE BIG LOSSES FOR LABOUR. WE HAVE LOST SOME FRIENDS AND SOME COLLEAGUES. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO REGROUP. AS CHRIS SAID LAST NIGHT, WE NEED TO PICK OURSELVES UP AGAIN. WE HAVE DONE IT AGAIN, AND WE WILL DO IT AGAIN. IF CHRIS HIPKINS CHOOSES TO STAY ON AS A LABOUR PARTY LEADER, WILL HE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE CAUCUS? CHRIS SUMMED IT UP PERFECTLY LAST NIGHT, WHEN HE SAID WE HAVE GOT TO PICK OURSELVES UP, REBUILT. WE HAVE SEEN THAT CHRIS HAS LED US SO WELL THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN AS OUR LEADER. HE HAS BEEN THE PRIME MINISTER FOR NINE MONTHS. HE REALLY DID PROVIDE THAT LEADERSHIP FOR US, GOING THROUGH NOT. THE RESULT WE WANTED OR HOPED FOR, BUT CHRIS HAS EVERYBODY'S RESPECT TO HOW HE LED US THROUGH IT. I AM GOING TO NEEDLE A BIT MORE ON THAT QUESTION. MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT HE HAS THE SUPPORT OF THE CAUCUS TO REMAIN AS LABOUR LEADER? I KNOW HE HAS THE CAUCUS IS RESPECT, BUT WILL HE HAVE SUPPORT? I DIDN'T MEAN TO SOUND AMBIGUOUS. YES. PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. BE APPRECIATED. AND ORDERS A DIFFICULT DAY. POLITICS CAN BE BRUTAL. WE APPRECIATE YOU GIVING US THE TIME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. WE ARE BACK WITH A PANEL. WHAT YOU MAKE OF THE FUTURE OF CHRIS ATKINS? MY ASSESSMENT WOULD BE THAT MEGAN IS CORRECT THAT IF HE WANTED TO STAY ON IN THE ROLE HE WOULD HAVE THE SUPPORT OF CAUCUS. IT IS HARD TO FAULT THE PERFORMANCE THAT HE PUT UP. THERE WAS AN ISSUE AROUND THE POLICY AROUND TAXATION, AND THAT WAS POORLY HANDLED. THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. OUTSIDE OF THAT, IT IS HARD TO FAULT HIS PERFORMANCE. I BELIEVE HE WOULD HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE CAUCUS GOING FORWARD. THAT WILL BE A DECISION FOR HIM TO MAKE. HE HAS BEEN IN OPPOSITION BEFORE. HE KNOWS HOW RELENTLESSLY AWFUL IT CAN BE. HE HAS A DECISION TO MAKE. HE IS YOUNG, HE HAS A FUTURE AHEAD OF HIM IN PARLIAMENT FEATURES IS TO STAY THERE. OR HE CAN PURSUE OTHER AVENUES. WHAT YOU THINK? SPECIALLY IN THE LAST WEEK, LAST TWO WEEKS OF THE CAMPAIGN, YOU WOULD LOOK AT CHRIS HIPKINS IN DEBATES AND THINK THAT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. HE WAS WHACKING LUXTON AROUND, TAKING THE FIGHT TO HIM. IT COULD BE THAT THAT IS WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PARTY FOR CONTINUITY. NO ONE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR INTRICATE NEW POLICIES FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS YET. IF WHAT IS BEST FOR THEM AS TO HOLD THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCOUNT, MAYBE IT IS BETTER TO KEEP HIPKINS IN THEIR, RATHER THAN WEARING OFF SOMEONE ELSE'S CAPITAL. ONE OF THE STRANGE IMPACTS OF THE RESULTS LAST NIGHT IS BECAUSE LABOUR LOST SO MANY ELECTORATES, SOME OF THOSE RELATIVELY SENIOR MPS AND MINISTERS WHO WERE AT THE 17 MARK ON THE LIST SHOULD BE RETURNED TO PARLIAMENT AS LIST MPS, BUT WOULD YOU EXPECT, GIVEN THE RESULT LAST NIGHT, WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE SENIOR LABOUR LEADERS STAND DOWN? THEY WILL BE CONSIDERING THEIR OPTIONS, YES, ONCE THE DUST SETTLES THIS WEEK. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM WHO HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. THEY WILL BE CONSIDERING WHETHER THEY HAVE THE ENERGY FOR ANOTHER TERM IN OPPOSITION. THEY WILL BE THINKING ABOUT, ASSESSING WHETHER THEY CAN DO WHAT THE NATIONAL PARTY DID IN THE LAST THREE YEARS AND RETURN QUICKLY OR WHETHER THIS IS A SPELL IN A POSITION TO LABOUR. WHAT DO YOU THINK? TRYING TO FORCE IT, ONLY LEADS TO TROUBLES THAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH HIGH TURNOVER OF LEADERS, HIGH EXPECTATIONS. THEY NEED SOMEBODY TO STEADY THE SHIP, SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T NECESSARILY EXPECT THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE PRIME MINISTER IN THREE YEARS. THAT COULD BE CHRIS HIPKINS, WHO JUST LOST THE ELECTION. IS THAT WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO? THAT IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION. I WOULD EXPECT WE WILL SEE A LOT OF RETIREMENTS. GREAT TO HAVE YOU USE AND THOUGHTS, ANALYSIS FROM THE RESULTS LAST NIGHT. AFTER THE BREAK ` ONE PARTY WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED MUCH AS THE GREENS. ON THE CURRENT RESULTS, THEY WILL WIN THREE ELECTORATES, ARE REMARKABLE RESULTS. THEY WILL RETURN TO PARLIAMENT WITH 14 MPS. COLEADER IS WITH US AFTER THE BREAK. TWICE NOW, THE GREEN PARTY HAS HAD MINISTERS IN GOVERNMENT AND DEFIED POLITICAL GRAVITY BY COMING OUT OF AN ELECTION STRONGER THAN BEFORE. CO-LEADER JAMES SHAW IS WITH US CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RESULT. I AM ASKING EVERYONE ` HOW MANY HOURS SLEEP? AT LEAST FOUR. THAT IS ALL YOU NEED. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE RESULT? OBVIOUSLY WE ARE SAID TO BE OUT OF GOVERNMENT. WE ARE PART OF THE WORK WE HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS AND WOULD HAVE LIKED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT FOR THE NEXT THREE. BUT WE HAD A BANG OF A NIGHT. WE HAD A HISTORIC RESULT IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, RETURNING STRONGER AT THE END OF A TERM OF GOVERNMENT ` THE ONLY SUPPORT PARTY TO HAVE DONE THAT. CHLOE HELD AUCKLAND CENTRAL, THAT IS THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE EVER HELD A SEAT FOR TWO ELECTIONS. SHE WON IT AGAINST A RED WAVE AND KEEP IT AGAINST A BLUE WAVE. WE HAVE TURNED WELLINGTON GREEN. LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TWO MPS THERE, AS WELL AS A GREEN MAYOR. IT IS A FANTASTIC RESULT. AT THE MOMENT, WE HAVE AS MANY GREEN MPS AS WE HAVE EVER HAD BEFORE, SO BACK AT THE HIGH MARK OF 14 MPS. YOU SAID YOU WERE DISAPPOINTED TO BE AT A GOVERNMENT. I WILL GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY ` BECAUSE THERE IS OF COURSE ONE TWO-PARTY COMBINATION OUTSIDE OF THE GREEN COALITION WITH LABOUR AND NATIONAL THAT WOULD COME TO BE, THE MAJORITY, REGARDLESS OF THE RESULT OF THE PORT WAIKATO BY-ELECTION. WOULD YOU CONSIDER HAVING ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL PARTY? CHRISTOPHER LUXON SAID LAST WEEK CATEGORICALLY HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US, AND HE HAS NOT CALLED US. YOU DON'T EXPECT THEM TO? NO. IF HE DID, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT CONVERSATION? AS IS THE LAST TIME, IT WOULD BE RUDE TO NOT PICK UP THE PHONE, BUT THAT IS UP TO THE INCOMING PRIME MINISTER. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHY HE WHICH I WORK WITH A PARTY IS PHILOSOPHICALLY DIFFERENT FROM HIS PARTY, WHERE HE HAS SOMEONE IN THE ACT PARTY WHO IS MUCH MORE PHILOSOPHICALLY THE SAME. THING THAT GETS ME ABOUT THAT QUESTION, NOBODY EVER GOES TO THE ACT PARTY IT IS WHY WOULDN'T YOU WORK WITH THE LABOUR PARTY? NO ONE EVER SAYS, FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY, A GOOD DOSE OF LIBERTARIAN TO EVEN THE AMOUNT. THE ACT PARTY DOES NOT BUILD ITSELF AROUND THE CENTRAL CONCERN THAT AS AN EXTENSION CRISIS. THEY DON'T SAY, OUR PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THUS, IF A CRISIS IS THAT CRITICAL, IF WE HAVE TO ACT THAT QUICKLY, WE WILL DO ANYTHING. I GET THAT, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, EVERY PARTY SHOULD BE TREATING CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS IT IS. IT SHOULD NOT BE GHETTOISED IN THE GREEN PARTY OR THE LEFT. THIS SOMETHING WE ALL FACE. I THINK EVERY PARTY HAS TO BE CRITICAL ON IT. TALK TO US ABOUT WELLINGTON. NOT ONLY WELLINGTON CENTRAL, RONGOTAI, COMFORTABLE YOUR HEAD. IT IS CLOSE BUT PROBABLY SITS TO HOLD THAT. I THINK HER COUNTERPART HAS CONCEDED. ADD TO THAT TORY WHANAU. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT POLITICS AND WELLINGTON? YOU HAVE A CITY THAT STRONGLY BELIEVES IN THINGS LIKE PUBLIC TRANSPORT RATHER THAN ROADS. BUT LIKE TO SIMEON BROWN TRYING TO DRILL TUNNELS IN MOUNT VICTORIA AGAINST OPPOSITION FROM THE LOCAL MPS AND COUNCIL. YOU HAVE A POPULATION THAT IS VERY CONCERNED AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE, WHO IS VERY MOTIVATED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE EVERYONE WITH US AND LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND. I THINK WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD VERY STRONG GREEN SUPPORT AND NOW WE HAVE CONVERTED THAT INTO LOCAL REPS AND TAKE YOU, WHICH I AM DELIGHTED ABOUT. WHAT YOU MAKE OF FLAVOURS RESULT? *LABOUR'S IT WAS A TERRIBLE RESULT FOR THEM. THEY LOST SOME OF VERY GOOD PEOPLE AND WILL BE FEELING QUITE SHATTERED, I IMAGINE. WHAT DO YOU PUT DOWN TP? *TO THAT IS UP TO THEM. THEY HAVE TO ANALYSE THEIR CAMPAIGN. FRANKLY, IF THEY MADE IT WE STRATEGIC DECISION RIGHT AND HAD PERFECT EXECUTION, THEY WOULD STILL BE PUSHING THE PROVERBIAL UPHILL WITH A BREAK. WE ARE IN A SITUATION` PEOPLE MAY UNDERSTAND THE REASONS TO DO WITH THE UKRAINE WAR COVID-19 SUPPLY CHAINS BEING MESSED UP. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHEN YOUR BLOCK OF CHEESE IS $30 A KILO *13 AND YOU ARE SPEEDING MORE THAN 15% OF YOUR OWN INCOME ON RENT. PEOPLE ARE FIXING THEIR MORTGAGES AS WELL. THE REASONS FOR THAT DON'T MATTER. PEOPLE ARE IN A SITUATION THEY ARE IN. I THINK ANY INCUMBENT PARTY ` IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE NATIONAL PARTY ` THEY WOULD HAVE FACED AN UPHILL BATTLE. HOW WILL YOU BE EFFECTIVE IN OPPOSITION? THE WAY WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. WE HAVE A BIG NEW TEAM ` HALF THE MPS COMING IN ON MONDAY WILL BE NEW. FIRST TIME WE HAVE HAD THAT SITUATION SINCE 2011. THAT GIVES US MORE SPREAD AND WE CAN BE ON EVERY SELECT COMMITTEE. THAT MEANS WE CAN ASK MORE QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE ` WE WILL HAVE MORE STAFF AND RESOURCE TO HELP WITH RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS. PEOPLE WILL BE FIRED UP AND READY TO GO. HAVING HAD ANY THOUGHTS AS TO YOUR PERSONAL FUTURE? I HAVE NOT. AT ONE LEVEL, YOU THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BUT I SAID BEFORE THE ELECTION I WAS PUTTING IT ALL ON WINNING. YOU HAVE HAD EIGHT HOURS TO CONSIDER IT NOW. THAT IS ALL THE TIME OF THE WORLD. I WAS NOT DOING A LOT OF THINKING FOR SOME OF IT. IT WAS DOING QUITE A LOT OF DRINKING. HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO THINK ALL OF THAT THROUGH. DO YOU RECKON WHAT'S THE SPECIAL BOATS ARE IN, THE GREEN CAN EXPECT ANOTHER SEAT? I WOULD LIKE ONE, BUT I DON'T KNOW. WE JUST TICKED OVER FROM 13 TO 14 MPS LATE LAST NIGHT ` THAT IS A BIG HURDLE TO GET TO THE 15TH, BUT THE NUMBER OF SPECIALS I UNDERSTAND IS BIGGER THAN IT HAS BEEN BEFORE. 567,000, WHICH IS 20%. A LOT OF THOSE WILL BE STUDENTS WRITING FROM OUT OF TOWN AS WELL AS THE INTERNATIONAL VOTES. HISTORICALLY, THOSE FAVOUR THE GREENS, THEN YOU KNOW. I WOULD LOVE TO GET OUR CHRISTCHURCH MP IN. I KNOW THE EXPERIENCE SHE WILL BE GOING THROUGH. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RESULT. THANK YOU FOR GETTING UP EARLY AFTER A BIG NIGHT. AFTER THE BREAK ` WE ARE BACK. WELCOME BACK TO Q AND A. JOINING ME AS THE NEW MP FOR TAMAKI. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHAT YOU MAKE OF THE RESULT? IT IS HARD WORK FROM A LOCAL TEAM, THE LOCAL SUPPORTERS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. I AM VERY HUMBLE TO SERVE AS A NEW MP. KIT DID YOU EXPECT THAT KIND OF MARGIN? 7000 VOTES SEPARATING YOU IN THE ENCUMBERED NATIONAL MP. IT IS HARD TO PREDICT HOW BIG THE MARGIN WAS GOING TO BE. OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, IT FELT LIKE PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR CHANGE. THIS CAMPAIGN STARTED WITH ZERO, BECAUSE WE HAVE NEVER TRIED TO WIN THE SEAT BEFORE. IT STARTED TO GROW AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE SAID WE WANT YOU AND TAMAKI. WE WANT CHOICE FOR ELECTION. PEOPLE HAVE RESPONDED TO IT. IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, HELPING AND SUPPORTING ME THROUGH 130 STREETCORNER MEETINGS IN THREE MONTHS, PUBLIC MEETINGS, COPYCAT CHOPS, GOING TO LOCAL PARKS, LOCAL SCHOOLS, BEING IN THE COMMUNITY LISTENING TO PEOPLE. THAT IS WHAT I HAVE HEARD RESOUNDINGLY, PEOPLE WANT A STRONG VOICE IN PARLIAMENT. HOW DIFFERENT IS YOUR LIFE GOING TO BE NOW? GOING FROM BEING IN OPPOSITION TO POTENTIALLY BEING IN GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO BEING AN ELECTORATE MP. YOUR WORKLOAD IS GOING TO TRIPLE. ABSOLUTELY. IT WILL BE HARD WORK. THERE IS NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. I HAVE HAD A GREAT MENTAL AND DAVID SEYMOUR. HARD-WORKING LOCAL MP I HAVE NOT MET ANYONE IN EPSOM WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE DAVID IS THE HARDEST WORKING MP IN PARLIAMENT. BEING ON THE GROUND AND A LEADER, HEARING CONCERNS AND ADVOCATING. TALK TO US ABOUT ACTS RESULT MORE BROADLY. ACT AS AT 9% ON THE CURRENT COUNT. ON THOSE NUMBERS, YOU ARE RETURNING TO PARLIAMENT WITH 11 MPS, YOUR BEST EVER RESULT. THAT IS AMAZING. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO HAS BACKED THIS YEAR, NOT TO JUST TO HAVE A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT, BUT A GOVERNMENT OF REAL CHANGE. I LOOK FORWARD OF ACT BEING PART OF A STRONG, STABLE GOVERNMENT. LOOKS LIKE WE CAN HAVE REAL CHANGE, BUT THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS VOTED THIS YEAR. TALK TO US ABOUT THE NEW MP YOU ARE GOING TO BE BRINGING TO GOVERNMENT. WE HAVE SOME AMAZING NEW FACES. TODD STEVENSON HAS A BACKGROUND IN PHARMACEUTICALS, ADVOCATING FOR MORE CHOICE. WE HAVE ANDREW, THE X FEDERATED FARMERS PRESIDENT. WE HAVE A STRONG VOICE FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THE LIST GOES ON. I AM ALSO VERY PROUD TO BRING IN CAMERON LUXTON, WHO WORKED HARD AND THE BY-ELECTION IN TAURANGA. HE WILL BE AN MP TO WATCH. A COUPLE OF CHEEKY QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU GO. GIVEN YOU NOW BOTH HAVE ELECTORATES, AS ACT CONSIDERING A COLEADERSHIP MODEL? WE HAVEN'T. DAVID HAS MY SUPPORT AS THE LEADER. THIS IS ABOUT LOCAL DEMOCRACY WORKING. MMP HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 30 YEARS. PEOPLE CAN HAVE CHOICE IN THEIR ELECTORATE MP. I AM HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL THAT PEOPLE HAVE BACK TO MY CAMPAIGN. I WANT TO SERVE WELL AS MP FOR TAMAKI. WHAT ABOUT A CABINET MINISTER? I WOULD BE HUMBLE TO SERVE CAPACITY TO.IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE POLICY WINDS THAT HELP NEW ZEALAND THRIVE. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LESS CONCERNED ABOUT WHO HOLDS WHICH MINISTERIAL ROLES, BUT BEING CLEAR THAT WE HAVE TO GET SERIOUS AND CRIME, COST OF LIVING UNDER CONTROL. WE HAVE TO STOP THE DIVISION THAT HAS BEEN CREATED IN OUR SOCIETY. IS THERE A PORTFOLIO THAT STANDS OUT AS ONE YOU WOULD BE MOST INTERESTED IN? I WILL GO WHERE THE PARTY AND THE NEW GOVERNMENT THINK IT IS BEST FOR ME TO SERVE. I AM THRILLED WITH WHAT THE RESULTS ARE LOOKING LIKE TONIGHT, YESTERDAY NIGHT, WHERE WE HAD A GOVERNMENT OF REAL CHANGE LOOKING LIKELY ON THE CARDS. AND ALSO HUMBLED TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AS THE LOCAL MP. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RESULT. ACTS TO ICY, BROOKLYN BELDEN. AFTER THE BREAK ` ONE OF THE SEATS THAT FLIPPED FROM LABOUR BACK TO NATIONAL LAST NIGHT WAS WAIRARAPA. THE SEAT HAD BEEN HELD BY LABOUR MINISTER KIERAN MCANULTY, WHO SOME HAD MUSED MIGHT BE A FUTURE LEADERSHIP PROSPECT FOR THE LABOUR PARTY. ON THE CURRENT NUMBERS, HE LOOKS LIKELY TO REMAIN IN PARLIAMENT, COMING IN ON LABOUR'S LIST. BUT HE WAS FRANK WITH REPORTER ABBEY WAKEFIELD ABOUT WHAT THE RESULT MEANS FOR LABOUR'S FUTURE. OBVIOUSLY NOT THE RESULT LABOUR WANTED TONIGHT, THOUGH. HOW WILL YOU REBUILD FROM THIS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. IT'S PROBABLY NOT ONE I CAN ANSWER TONIGHT. I DON'T KNOW. LIKE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND REFLECT ON IT, BUT I'M NOT GONNA OFFER ANY INSIGHTS TONIGHT WHEN I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO MY COLLEAGUES AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. TO BE HONEST, ALL I'VE BEEN DOING TONIGHT IS REFRESHING THE WAIRARAPA PAGE. I JUST GOT A CALL FROM ONE OF MY MATES, WHO'VE LOST THEIR SEAT. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. SO YEAH, THAT'S A JOB FOR TOMORROW AND MONDAY, I THINK, BUT NOT TONIGHT. HOW WAS IT GOING OVER AND TALKING TO MIKE BUTTERICK AT THE NATIONAL PARTY HQ JUST ACROSS THE ROAD? OH, YEAH, IT'S FINE. IT HAD TO BE DONE. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. AND I ALWAYS REMEMBER BACK TO WHEN I LOST IN 2014 AND 2017. I RANG THE CANDIDATE, AND I WASN'T INVITED THERE, AND I THOUGHT, 'THAT'S INTERESTING'. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IF I WON THE SEAT, I WOULD INVITE THE CANDIDATE OVER, AND I DID LAST TIME. AND SINCE I DID THAT, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT I WENT THERE, AND I DID. AND MIKE'S A GOOD GUY, AND HE'S WORKED HARD, AND I'M SURE HE'LL GIVE IT HIS ALL. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I CONGRATULATE HIM IN PERSON, I THINK. KIERAN, DOES LABOUR NEED A NEW LEADER AFTER TONIGHT? THAT'S NOT A QUESTION I CAN ANSWER TONIGHT. LET US GO AWAY AND REFLECT ON THINGS AND LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO'S LOST THEIR SEAT, MAN. HONESTLY, LIKE, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO SO MANY PEOPLE TONIGHT. I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE MEDIA, GONE ROUND TO THE NATIONAL PARTY HQ. I'VE THANKED MY SUPPORTERS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE OTHER RESULTS. SO LET'S JUST LOOK AT THAT. WE'LL REFLECT ON THAT ON MONDAY. BUT, LOOK, WHATEVER HAPPENS, IT'LL BE THE DECISION THAT CAUCUS MAKES. NOW YOU WERE ASKED DURING THE CAMPAIGN, DO YOU WANT TO BE THE NEXT LABOUR PARTY LEADER? AND YOU SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT. IS THAT STILL THE CASE TONIGHT? 100%. ABSOLUTELY. WHO WOULD WANT THAT JOB? I DON'T WANT IT. NO WAY. NO. IT'S NOT FOR ME. ALL I CARE ABOUT, GENUINELY, IS DOING STUFF FOR MY REGION. AND... YOU KNOW, YOU ASKED THE QUESTION THERE ` DOES BEING A MINISTER DRAG YOU AWAY FROM THE REGION TOO MUCH? WELL, CHRIST, WHAT WOULD BE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION LIKE? NO, THANKS. BUT, KIERAN, YOU'RE A GOOD COMMUNICATOR. YOU KNOW, YOU START YOUR PRESS CONFERENCES BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE GUTS OF IT. AND YOU HAVE THAT WAY WITH PEOPLE THAT PEOPLE SEEM TO LIKE. IF YOU GO BACK TO PARLIAMENT AND YOUR COLLEAGUES CALL ON YOU TO BE THE NEXT LABOUR LEADER, WILL YOU SAY NO TO THAT? I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. CERTAINLY NOT NOW THAT I DIDN'T HOLD THE SEAT. BUT EVEN THEN I'D SAY NO. I DON'T WANT TO DO IT. I JUST` YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING MARRIED IN JANUARY. I WANT TO BE A DAD. I DON'T WANNA BE A DAD THAT NEVER SEES HIS KIDS. GOOD ON THEM THAT DOES WANNA DO IT, BUT NOT FOR ME, NO. CATEGORICALLY RULING IT OUT? 100%. NO WAY. KIERAN SPEAKING TO REPORTER ABBY WAKEFIELD LAST NIGHT. MIKE BUTTERICK IS SET TO BE THE NEXT MP FOR THAT REGION. TE PATI MAORI RECORDED 2.6% OF THE VOTE. TE PATI MAORI HAS PICKED UP FOR ELECTORATES. MORGAN GODFREY IS WITH US THIS MORNING. A LATE NIGHT LAST NIGHT SO WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE RESULT? THAT WAS APPRAISING. I THINK THE FIRST TIME THAT ALL OF MY CALLS AT THE MAORI ELECTORATES HAD BEEN WRONG. NOT THE FIRST TIME THE POLLS HAD BEEN WRONG, BUT I THINK VERY FEW PEOPLE SAW THE SALE OF THEIR WHEN COMING. TE TAI TONGA AS ONE EXAMPLE, WHEN THAT'S IT HAS BEEN HELD FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS WITH THAT FAMILY IN THE PAST CENTURY. THAT IS THE KIND OF SCALE WE'RE LOOKING AT. IT DOES MAKE, I THINK, SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT TO THE FINAL RESULT, ASSUMING THE ELECTORATE SEATS THEY WON COMFORTABLY OUTPERFORMED THE PARTY VOTE THEY WILL WIN ONCE THE SPECIAL VOTES COME IN. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY AROUND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FINAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULT AS A RESULT OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE MAORI ELECTORATES. WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT SENTIMENT WITHIN THOSE MAORI ELECTORATES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE GENERATIONAL CHANGE ` THE LIKES OF NANAIA MAHUTA VOTED OUT. SHE HAS BEEN AN MP FOR 27 YEARS. THE LABOUR MINISTERS GENERALLY DID WORSE THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, CUSHLA IN IKAROA RAWHITI WHO DID BETTER AS THE INSURGENT CAMPAIGNER. I THINK THE MOOD FOR CHANGE WAS PRESENT WITHIN THE MAORI ELECTORATES AS WELL AS THE GENERAL ELECTORATES, BUT IT EXPRESSES ITSELF DIFFERENTLY, BECAUSE YOUR OPTIONS ARE SLIGHTLY MORE CONSTRAINED. A MOOD FOR CHANGE IN A MAORI ELECTORATE LOOKS LIKE TE PATI MAORI AS OPPOSED TO NATIONAL OR WHOEVER ELSE IT MIGHT BE. I THINK WE SEE THE SAME SENTIMENTS UNFOLDING IN THE MAORI ELECTORATES BUT THEY UNFOLD IN A DIFFERENT WAY. PROBABLY A BIT OF HUMILITY THAT COMMENTATORS AND OTHER OBSERVERS OF THE MAORI ELECTORATES HAVE TO INDULGE IN AT THE MOMENT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYONE PREDICTED THE SCALE OF THEIR WHEN, *WIN WHICH SHOWS HOW IT MAYBE OUT OF TOUCH WITH WHAT IS GOING ON ON THE GROUND AND MAORI ELECTORATES THAT PUNDITS AND THE LABOUR PARTY ARE. AMAZING TO THINK THE MP REPLACING NANAIA IS SO YOUNG. AFTER THAT RESULT CAME THROUGH LAST NIGHT, HERE IS WHAT NANAIA HAD TO SAY. YOU ARE THE MOTHER OF THE HOUSE. YOU ARE THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY SERVING FEMALE MP, AND ALONGSIDE GERRY BROWNLEE, WHO IS THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE. HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT WHAT'S UNFOLDED TONIGHT IN YOUR SEAT AND OTHERS? WELL, CAN I SAY, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE MY ELECTORATE OF HAURAKI WAIKATO UNDER THE LABOUR BANNER. WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IN THIS LAST SIX YEARS OF BEING GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, ESPECIALLY FOR MAORI. AND WE'VE TAKEN THE NATION FAR` MUCH` TOWARDS I THINK THE COUNTRY WE WANT TO BE A PART OF. IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE, BUT IT'S NOT OVER YET. AND I KNOW THAT RIGHT TILL THE END OF CLOSING OF POLLS, OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD. THAT WAS NANAIA. TALK TO US A BIT ABOUT IKAROA RAWHITI, AFTER THAT HIGH-PROFILE SHIFT FROM LABOUR TO TE PATI MAORI, ENDED UP LOSING THE SEAT. WE COMMENTED THAT IF TE PATI MAORI SAID NO TO MEKA, THEY MAY HAVE WON THAT SEAT, SABBATICAL ARE ANY. AGAIN, SHE WAS A VICTIM TO PERHAPS HER OWN HUBRIS AND THAT HER VOTERS DID NOT KNOW WHY SHE LEFT LABOUR. IT WAS NOT CLEAR OTHER THAN SOME KIND OF PERHAPS SPIRITUAL OR IDEOLOGICAL JOURNEY SHE WAS ON. ALL POWER TO HER ON THAT JOURNEY, BUT IT WAS NEVER MADE QUITE CLEAR WHAT THAT MEANT TO ORDINARY PEOPLE, SO SHE WAS VERY MUCH THE VICTIM OF THAT AND THE VICTIM OF A MOOD FOR CHANGE. SHE WAS THE INCUMBENT, AND THE INSURGENT CAMPAIGNER CAME THROUGH, AND QUITE COMFORTABLE TOOK HER OUT. IT WAS PROBABLY NOT AS CLOSE AS PEOPLE WERE PREDICTING EITHER. ONE THING I AM INTERESTED IN IS FAST FORWARDING THREE MONTHS OR SO, IMAGINING A FUTURE NATIONAL AND AT GOVERNMENT. ACT AS THE EXPLICIT IN SAYING IT'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS A REFERENDUM ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE TREATY. TE PATI MAORI HAS BEEN EXPLICIT IN SAYING IT IS A TIRITI-LED PARTY. HOW DO YOU SEE THOSE CONTRASTING DYNAMICS PLAYING OUT? I THINK SIR JOHN KEY PUT IT BEST WHEN HE SAID POLICIES LIKE THAT WILL CAUSE HIKOIS FROM HELL. I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE WINNER NATIONAL AND ACTS GO TO THE NEGOTIATION TABLE, PERHAPS THE FIRST THING TO BE NEGOTIATED WOULD BE THAT REFERENDUM. I AM SURE CHRISTOPHER LUXON AND THE PEOPLE ADVISING HIM ARE SENSIBLE ENOUGH TO KNOW WITH A RESURGENT TE PATI MAORI THAT THAT KIND OF THING IS NOT WITH THE FIGHT IT WOULD CAUSE. TE PATI MAORI, IF YOU WERE CYNICAL, PERHAPS YOU COULD SAY THEY WOULD RELISH THAT KIND OF FIGHT, BUT I THINK THEY WOULD PREFER TO SEE THAT SORT OF THING FALL AWAY AND THAT RHETORIC FALL AWAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ANALYSIS. ONE OF TE PATI MAORI'S YOU MPS AS TAKUTA FERRIS, WHICH WAS A SURPRISE LAST NIGHT. HE IS WITH US THIS MORNING. CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. HOW DOES IT FEEL WAKING UP KNOWING YOU AS IT IS TO BE AN MP? KIA ORA. IT'S DOES NOT FEEL TOO MUCH DIFFERENT, E HOA. THIS IS JUST US DOING IT IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR CAMPAIGN. WHAT YOU THINK GOT YOU OVER THE LINE? A FEW THINGS. BEING ON THE GROUND IS ONE; GETTING AROUND TE WAIPOUNAMU, AND THAT IS NOT AN EASY TASK. THAT AS WELL AS A STRONG SOCIAL CAMPAIGN OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. THE THING TE IWI MAORI MUST TAKE AWAY FROM THE SELECTION IS OUR PEOPLE ARE UP AND ON THEIR FEET, AND THEY ARE MAKING THE INTENTION HEARD. THIS IS A BIG SHIFT. IS IT FAIR FOR ME TO SAY THAT THERE APPEARS TO BE A GENERATIONAL SHIFT? WHEN I THINK ABOUT TE TAI TONGA, HAURAKI WAIKATO AND THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD FROM NANAIA MAHUTA. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT WHAT YOUNG MAORI WANT? IT AS A COUPLE OF THINGS. NUMBER ONE, ALL OF THE INVESTMENT OUR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS PUT IN TO MAORI EDUCATION AND RECLAIMING MAORI SPACES AND BELIEVING IN OURSELVES FROM THE 70S UNTIL NOW HAS HIT THE GROUND OF THE POLITICAL SPACE. ARE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED, THEY ARE AWARE OF WHY AND HOW INEQUITIES EXIST AND CONTINUE TO EXIST. ONE OF THE BIG JOBS FOR TE PATI MAORI IS TO CONTINUE TO RAISE THAT UNDERSTANDING WITHIN OUR PEOPLE, EDUCATE OUR PEOPLE, LEAD THEM FORWARD, SO THEY CAN STAND UP AND WE CAN ALL MOVE TOGETHER. WHAT WILL BE THE PARTY'S STRATEGY AND OPPOSITION? I THINK IT IS THE SAME ` HIGHLIGHT IN EQUITY, BUILT INTO OUR PEOPLE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT MAKES THEM STAND UP AND PAY ATTENTION AND BE PRESENT WHEN THINGS LIKE ELECTIONS, AROUND. JUST KEEP DOING WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, E HOA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, WE APPRECIATE IT. CONGRATULATIONS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING AGAIN SOON. NGA MIHI, JACK. THAT IS TAKUTA FERRIS, SPEAKING TO US LIVE FROM A NELSON. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT IS THE GORGEOUS NEW NELSON AIRPORT. THERE'S ONE PARTY WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY REALLY DISCUSSED YET ` NATIONAL AND AT ARE LIKELY TO BE IN GOVERNMENT POTENTIALLY WITH NEW ZEALAND FIRST, BUT THERE IS CHANGE ACROSS THE BOARD. THE GREENS 13 ELECTORATES. IT IS CHANGE ACROSS THE BOARD. IT WASN'T JUST A HUGE SWING TO NATIONAL, BUT IT IS LOSING TO EVERYONE, TO ITS LEFT, TO ITS RIGHT, TO THE SITE. THE SEAT THAT WENT AGAINST THE GRAIN WAS THE INCUMBENT LABOUR MINISTER DURING THE CYCLONE'S DEPOSED. THAT SPEAKS TO THE LEVEL OF DISSATISFACTION ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE ONE THAT WENT AGAINST THE TIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN BROOK VAN VELDEN, A CHANGE FROM AN ELECTORATE, THE BLUE-CHIP ELECTORATE OF TAMAKI CRUSHED BY THE BURDEN. WE ARE SURPRISED BY THE RESULT? THE POLLING GAVE HER A SHOT. THE POLLING MADE IT LOOK SUPER TIGHT. I USED TO WORK WITH HER. SHE PRESENTS WELL. SHE IS A GOOD WORKER. KEY TO IT, SHE IS GOING TO BE A SENIOR MEMBER OF A GOVERNMENT THAT IS FORMED. SHE WILL BE A MINISTER. THAT WAS IN THE VOTERS MINDS AS WELL. WE COME TO THE POINT ABOUT ELECTORATES AND MOMENT. THIS IS CHANGE ACROSS THE BOARD. ABSOLUTELY. THAT IS THE THEME. WHOEVER WAS THERE FEELING GRUMPY ABOUT THEIR LIVES, HOW THINGS ARE AROUND COST OF LIVING HOWEVER THE INCUMBENT MIGHT BE, LARGELY SUFFERED RESULT FROM THAT. IT IS ACROSS THE BOARD. THERE IS A COUPLE OF INSTANT IS IN WHICH THAT DIDN'T PLAY OUT; NELSON IS AN INTERESTING SEAT TO WATCH. LABOUR COULD RETAIN THAT. THAT HAS OFTEN BEEN A SWING SEAT. RACHEL, IF SHE HOLDS THAT SEAT, THAT IS QUITE A FEAT. THAT IS SOMETHING THE LABOUR PARTY SHOULD LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT SHE DID THERE THAT WASN'T ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF GREEN PARTY SUPPORT IN THE ELECTORATE. THERE WERE HIGH-PROFILE GREENS AND THE ELECTORATE. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MUCH WAS HELD ON BY RACHEL. HE WAS HOLDING BACK THE INEVITABLE TIDES OF HISTORY AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE. SOME SEATS WERE NOT SURE. TAKANINI WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS LEFT OR RIGHT. SPEAK TO US ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH SOME OF THOSE ELECTORATES HAVE GONE TO . PARTY THAT IS A DYNAMIC WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN FOR SOME TIME. YOU CONSIDER THREE SEATS FOR GREEN. DOTS THAT DO FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THOSE THIRD PARTIES OR SMALLER PARTIES IN LABOUR AND NATIONAL? IT DOES CHANGE THE DYNAMIC. I WOULD SAY, LOSING SOMEONE LIKE IBRAHIM AS A LOSS. ALL THE PARTIES INCLUDING THIRD PARTIES REMAIN FOCUSED ON THE PARTY VOTE. HAVING SOME ABILITY TO WIN SEATS GIVES COMFORT TO THOSE THIRD PARTIES THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO REACH A 5% THRESHOLD. BEYOND THAT, IT IS ABOUT THE PARTY VOTE, THEREFORE CAUCUS. IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THINGS, EXCEPT TE PATI MAORI IN TERMS OF SEATS OF GOVERNMENT. CHANGES THINGS IN TERMS OF FUTURE DYNAMICS. IT IS FASCINATING TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS LAST NIGHT. EVEN WITH NATIONAL'S RELATIVELY STRONG PERFORMANCE, THIS IS THE LOWEST RESULT FOR THE TWO CENTURIES PARTIES COMBINED, LABOUR AND NATIONAL, SINCE 2002. CLEARLY THERE IS A LOT OF THIRD-PARTY SUPPORT. THAT IS RIGHT. THERE WAS A CONVERGENCE BETWEEN THE PARTIES. NATIONAL HAS BEEN RUNNING A SMALL TARGET CAMPAIGN FOCUSED HEAVILY ON COST OF LIVING. THAT IS WHAT LABOUR TRY TO PERMIT TO AFTER JACINDA ARDERN LEFT THE BUILDING. HIPKINS WAS UPFRONT, LASER FOCUSED ON COST OF LIVING. THAT NARROWED THE RANGE OF POLICIES AND INTERESTS OF THOSE CENTRE-RIGHT, CENTRE-LEFT PARTIES AND LEFT ROOM ON THE OTHER SIDE FOR ACT AND THE GREENS. YOU SEE STRONG PERFORMANCES THERE. THE SURPRISE IS THAT IT SPILLED INTO THE ELECTORATES. WERE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE WELLINGTON CENTRAL AND AUCKLAND CENTRAL PICKED UP? IT SEEMED IN PLAY, BUT FOR ALL THREE OF THEM, CONGRATULATIONS TO CHLOE'S FOR BRICK FOR HOLDING UP AGAINST THE BLUE TIDE. I WILL DIDN'T THINK THEY WOULD GET ALL THREE. RONGOTAI IS SURPRISING. THAT HAS LONG BEEN A SAFE LABOUR SEAT. IT HAS CHANGED HANDS AT THIS ELECTION IT IS THE ELECTION OF CHANGE. CHRISTOPHER LUXON. IT IS REMARKABLE TO THINK THAT SOMEONE WHO ONLY ENTERED PARLIAMENT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO HAS BECOME PRIME MINISTER, IS SET TO BE PRIME MINISTER. TALK TO US ABOUT THAT. IT IS A REAL TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF SETTING GOALS AND WORKING TOWARDS THEM. CHRISTOPHER LUXON, WHENEVER YOU MEET HIM, HE HAS A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT HE WANTS. IN THIS CASE, IT WAS TO BE BE THE LEADER OF THE NATIONAL PARTY, TURNAROUND. ULTIMATELY, GIVE IT A GOOD CRACK AT WINNING, AND HE HAS DONE IT. WE SAW DURING THE CAMPAIGN JUST HOW FOCUSED HE WAS, HOW DISCIPLINED HE WAS. REMEMBER THE BARRAGE YOU GAVE THEM ON THE SHOW. HE STAYED THE COURSE. IT WAS INTERESTING LISTENING TO HIS SPEECH. HE TALKED ABOUT HE CAME INTO POLITICS TO ACHIEVE THINGS. TEAMWORK SEEMS TO BE IMPORTANT TO HIM. HE VALUES THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM. HE HAS IMPROVED NATIONAL PERFORMANCE AS A CAUCUS. HE WAS THANKING HIS FAMILY, HE SAID THANKS TEAM. HE TAKES A CEO MINDSET. HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT VOTERS RATHER THAN STAKEHOLDERS. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT GOING FORWARD. HE DID BRING DISCIPLINE TO A VERY UNDISCIPLINED CAUCUS. THEY WERE HAVING ENORMOUS TROUBLE BEFORE HE STEPPED INTO THAT LEADERSHIP ROLE. BRINGING NICOLA WILLIS IN AS DEPUTY AND THEREFORE BRINGING THE OTHER RUMP OF THE NATIONAL PARTY WAS AN IMPORTANT MOVE. IT SEEMS TO HAVE STAYED THE COURSE. AFTER THE BREAK ` Q&A IS BACK AFTER THE BREAK. I AM NOT LOOKING AT THE SCORE OF THE RUGBY IN THE AD BREAK. WELCOME BACK. WHAT'LL THE ELECTION RESULT MEAN FOR THE ECONOMY? 1 NEWS BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT KATIE BRADFORD. I THINK JACK IS A BIT DISTRACTED. I AM NOT AT ALL, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. I AM JUST MAKING SURE AT THE LATEST INFORMATION TO HAND. I THINK WE KNOW WHAT NATIONAL AND ACTS PLANS ARE. IT IS NOW THAT AS YOU HAVE TOOK ABOUT, WHAT HAPPENS WITH NEW ZEALAND FIRST. DO THEY COME IN AS PART OF THAT? IF THEY ARE THERE, I THINK IT WOULD BE HARD FOR NATIONAL TO GET THAT FOREIGN BUYERS TAX ALLOWING FOREIGN BUYERS BACK INTO THE COUNTRY, FOR INSTANCE. THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE FIRST HURDLES. I THINK PEOPLE WILL BE WAITING FOR THE TAX CUTS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT THE WHOLE TIME. BUT NEW ZEALAND FIRST AND ACT WANT TO SEE NATIONALS FOR SCHOOL PLANS, AND THE SPREADSHEETS WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE. THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES TO LOOK AT. THE MAIN THING IS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE ARE ALL WAITING. INFLATION FIGURES ARE OUT ON TUESDAY, WHICH MIGHT BE AN EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT BECAUSE OF A LUX AND IF THEY SHOW THE NUMBERS ARE DOWN. OR THE OPPOSITE. OR THE OPPOSITE. THAT IS SOME SERIOUS SPIN DEPENDING ON WHEN THOSE NUMBERS ARE RECORDED. THAT IS THE FIRST, I GUESS THAT IS THE FIRST OF ECONOMIC NEWS WE WILL HAVE. THINGS WILL BE IN A HOLDING PATTERN WHILE WE WAIT. THE THING TO GET THE CLOSEST ION AS THE HOUSING MARKET. ARE PEOPLE LISTING HOUSES TODAY. EVERYWHERE I HAVE GONE, PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEY'RE WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE ELECTION. IF THERE IS A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, HOUSE PRICES WILL GO UP. CERTAINTY IS CRITICAL TO CONFIDENCE. THERE HAS BEEN A MOOD FOR CHANGE, BUT REALISTICALLY, WE WILL BE WAITING FOR WEEKS BEFORE WE CAN GIVE ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY AS TO THE STATE OF THE NEXT GOVERNMENT. AND THAT KEEPS THE ECONOMY UNCERTAIN AT A TIME WHEN THINGS ARE ALREADY ROCKY. WE HAVE SEEN PETROL PRICES GO UP BY HUGE AMOUNTS THAT WILL PROBABLY AFFECT INFLATION FIGURES; THEY WILL PROBABLY NOT BE AS GOOD AS WE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT BECAUSE OF THAT. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE MARKETS, THE DOLLAR, ALL OF THAT WILL SIT ON A HOLDING PATTERN WAITING. NONE OF THAT WILL HAPPEN WHILE WE SIT AND WAIT. YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE GAME ARE WE WHILE. IN THE NICEST POSSIBLE WAY. WHAT SURPRISE YOU ABOUT LAST NIGHT? JUST CHATTING TO JAMES SHAW, THOSE THROUGH GREEN ELECTORATE SEATS. BROOKE WINNING TAMAKI BY SUCH A HUGE MARGIN. I DON'T THINK EVEN THEY EXPECTED THAT. THE CHAIRS AT THAT ACT EVENT WHERE HUGE. TO HAVE A DECISIVE VICTORY FOR HER IS PROBL ONE OF THE BIG SURPRISE OF THE CAMPAIGN. NATIONAL SEEMED CONFIDENT THEY WOULD WIN. CHRISTOPHER LUX AND STILL SEEMED QUITE QUIETLY CONFIDENT THEY WERE GOING TO GET IT A FEW WEEKS AGO. THAT IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST BLOW FOR THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ` BUT IF YOU DAYS AHEAD. *BUSY RIGHT, WE'VE ALMOST HAD ENOUGH OF POLITICS IN NZ FOR ONE MORNING, SO TO FINISH OFF HERE, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK OVER THE DITCH. AUSTRALIA HAD A MAJOR REFERENDUM OVERNIGHT ON THE VOICE TO PARLIAMENT, AN EFFORT TO ENSHRINE AN ADVISORY BODY OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS INTO THE CONSTITUTION. AZIZ AL SA'AFIN IS 1 NEWS AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT. AZIZ, WHAT ARE THE BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM THE RESULT? WHILE NEW ZEALAND VOTED FOR CHANGE, AUSTRALIA DID ANYTHING BUT. THE RESULT WAS PRETTY OVERWHELMING, ACTUALLY. THEY HAVE DECIDED NOT TO ENSHRINE THE PROPOSAL FOR THE VOICE TO PARLIAMENT INTO THEIR CONSTITUTION. OVERWHELMINGLY, THEY VOTED AGAINST IT. AT THE MOMENT, THERE IS ABOUT 74% OF THE VOTES COUNTED. AS IT STANDS, 60% OF AUSTRALIANS HAVE VOTED AGAINST IT. TASMANIA WAS TIPPED TO BE ONE OF THE STATES THAT WAS POLLING A HIT IN THE USE OF VOTE. *YES LAST NIGHT, IT ONLY ACHIEVED 41%. VICTORIA WAS LOOKING LIKE IT COULD HAVE BEEN GOING ACROSS THE LINE. HOWEVER, THAT ONLY ACHIEVED 45%. THE MAJORITY IN THAT STATE. AS YOU KNOW, THIS REFERENDUM NEEDED TO ACHIEVE A DOUBLE MAJORITY BOTH IN VOTES AND STATES, AT LEAST 4/6 STATES, AND IT HAS ACHIEVED NO STATES AND NO MAJORITY IN TOTAL NUMBER OF VOTES. ANTHONY ALBANESE LAUNCHED THIS CAMPAIGN IN 2017, WHICH WAS WHEN THE STATEMENT WAS LAUNCHED. HE LAUNCHED THE REFERENDUM IN MARCH THIS YEAR AND IT HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS OF A VERY EMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN, I THINK WE COULD SAY FOR HIM. HE SAID IT HAS BEEN VERY CLOSE TO HIS HEART, BUT LAST NIGHT CONCEDED DEFEAT. HE SAID THE REFERENDUM WAS A HARD BURDEN TO BEAR AND THE RESULTS WILL BE AS WELL. AS PRIME MINISTER, I WILL ALWAYS ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DECISIONS I HAVE TAKEN, AND I DO SO TONIGHT. BUT I DO WANT AUSTRALIANS TO KNOW THAT I WILL ALWAYS BE AMBITIOUS FOR OUR COUNTRY ` AMBITIOUS FOR US TO BE THE VERY BEST VERSION OF OURSELVES. I WILL ALWAYS BE OPTIMISTIC FOR WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE TOGETHER. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SOME VERY HARD DISCUSSIONS WILL BE HAD TODAY AND FOR THE FUTURE. HE HAS BEEN CRITICISED WITH NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH DETAIL ` THAT IS WHAT OPPOSITION LEADER PETER DUTTON HAS CONSISTENTLY CRITICISED HIM OF IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY AFTER THE RESULT. THIS IS THE REFERENDUM THAT AUSTRALIA DID NOT NEED TO HAVE. THE PROPOSAL AND THE PROCESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO UNITE AUSTRALIANS, NOT TO DIVIDE US. AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN TONIGHT IS AUSTRALIANS LITERALLY IN THEIR MILLIONS, REJECT THE PRIME MINISTER'S DIVISIVE REFERENDUM. THE PRIME MINISTER CLEARLY WAS NOT ACROSS THE DETAIL AND REFUSED TO EXPLAIN OR ANSWER REASONABLE QUESTIONS FROM AUSTRALIANS. THERE YOU HAVE IT ` CONFIRMING THE VOICE TO PARLIAMENT WILL NOT BE ENSHRINED IN THE CONSTITUTION ` A BODY WILL NOT BE CREATED. AS FOR WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, THAT IS A DISCUSSION FOR THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC. ANTHONY ALBANESE HE HAS RULED OUT PUTTING A VOICE TO PARLIAMENT THROUGH. THEY HAVE THE POWERS TO, BUT HE HAS SAID HE WILL NOT BE DOING THAT. NOT A VOTE FOR CHANGE HERE IN AUSTRALIA. THANK YOU SO MUCH ` A VERY INTERESTING RESULT. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME ON Q+A. I WANT TO GET SOME FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE PANELLISTS. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS? EVERYONE WILL HAVE A DESERVED REST FOR A WHILE ` WAIT TO SEE HOW THE SPECIAL VOTES SOUGHT OUT, AND THEN I THINK CHRISTOPHER LUXON AND WINSTON PETERS AND DAVID SEYMOUR WILL COME TO AN ACCOMMODATION, WHICH WILL PROBABLY ALLOW A NATIONAL AND EX-GOVERNMENT WITH NEW ZEALAND FIRST OFF TO THE SIDE WITH SOME CONCESSIONS ` MAYBE EVEN AS A SUPPORT PARTY OR WINSTON PETERS AS A MINISTER BUT NOT AS A MAJOR PARTNER. WATCH THE SUPERANNUATION SPACE, IS WHAT I WOULD SAY. NATIONAL SAID THEY WOULD LIFT THE AGE OF ELIGIBILITY SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE; ACT SAID THEY WILL DO IT TOMORROW. WELL, THEY WANT TO START THE PROCESS TOMORROW. START THE PROCESS. I THINK THAT IS THE SPACE TO WATCH. IF WINSTON PETERS HAS ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED. WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW ALL OF THE DETAIL ROLLS OUT AROUND COLLISION AGREEMENTS. I THINK IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO WATCH THAT PORT WAIKATO BY-ELECTION. BY MY MATHEMATICS, ACT HAS A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND ON ITS CAMPAIGN, AND YOU CAN IMAGINE A SCENARIO IN WHICH ACT DECIDES TO AGGRESSIVELY CONTESTED THAT SEAT, HOPING THEY COULD ACTUALLY HAVE MAY BE A TWO SEAT MAJORITY OR A SLIGHTLY BIGGER MAJORITY THAN THEY HAVE NOW, WHICH WOULD MEAN THEY WOULD NOT NEED THE SUPPORT OF NEW ZEALAND FIRST. COULD THAT HAPPEN? THEY DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE AN APPETITE FOR IT THIS MORNING. I CANNOT SEE THEM GOING AGGRESSIVELY AFTER THAT SEAT. I THINK IT WILL BE HELD BY NATIONAL. BUT ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. HOW DO YOU THINK WE WOULD REFLECT UPON LAST NIGHT IN THE WEEKS TO COME? WE WILL SEE IT AS BEING WHERE PEOPLE DECIDED THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WHATEVER THAT MEANT ` LOCALLY OR NATIONALLY ` THEY WERE PREPARED TO DO THAT. WE WILL SEE IT AS A HUGE SWING BACK. THERE WAS A LOT OF NOISE DURING THE CAMPAIGN BUT HISTORY IS NOT SO MUCH WRITTEN BY THE VICTORS BUT THE VICTORYS. NATIONAL AND ACT WHEN GREAT CAMPAIGNS, AND THEY GOT THE GREAT RESULT. I HAD TO INVOKE TOO MANY CLICHES, BUT IS IT AMAZING HOW THINGS CHANGE? WAS THAT HER THREE YEARS AGO, AND LABOUR TODAY HAS ENDED UP LOSING MPS. ONE A WEEK IS STILL A LONG TIME IN POLITICS. A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE WORRIED ABOUT WILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT SINCE COVID-19 IS INCREASING POLARISATION AND SOCIETY. IT IS INTERESTING TO LOOK AT NEW ZEALAND IN CONTRAST WITH SOMEWHERE LIKE AMERICA, WHERE OUR BOATS SWING WILDLY BETWEEN THE CENTRE-LEFT AND CENTRE-RIGHT. PEOPLE ARE MAKING UP THEIR MINDS ON THE BASIS OF WHAT IS IN FRONT OF THEM AND NOT NECESSARILY TRIBAL PREFERENCES. I THINK IT IS A POSITIVE THING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ANALYSIS. WE APPRECIATE YOU CHOOSING US OVER THE RUGBY. JUST SO YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY ` WE ARE EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM WINSTON PETERS SOMETIME LATER THIS MORNING. THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE TOLD US THAT YOU CAN NEVER BE SURE UNTIL YOU SEE WINSTON PETERS TURNED UP IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS. WE WILL HAVE EXTENDED COVERAGE OF THE ELECTION RESULTS FROM OUR SITE AND ALL OF THE RESPONSE TODAY AT OUR WEBSITE. THE ONE NEWS TEAM WILL BE BACK AT SIX TONIGHT. KUA MUTU, THAT'S Q+A FOR THIS WEEK. FROM THE Q+A TEAM, THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND NGA MIHI KI A KOUTOU I NGA KARERE. HEI TERA WIKI. SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY AT 9AM. CAPTIONS BY STEFFI DRYDEN AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023.