October 17, 2023
Coalition talks done confidentially
Prime Minister elect Chris Luxon says he won’t do coalition negotiations through the media.
In his first full media briefing at Parliament yesterday Mr Luxon asked the public to be patient.
He says it will be three weeks before special votes are finalised and National knows how many MPs it has to work with.
“We’re conscious there are still 570,000 special votes that need to be counted and inspected and there is a whole bunch of dynamics at play in the special votes that may be different or may be the same as previously so we have to wait for that dynamic to play through in the next three weeks. Having said that, we’re working very strongly to build relationships and also to work through the arrangements with the respective parties. We’re going to do that confidentially, we’re going to do that in private, we’re not going to be negotiating through the media,” Mr Luxon says.
National’s new MPs were welcomed to Parliament yesterday by Mr Luxon and deputy Nicola Willis, including Ngati Maniapoto’s Dan Bidois who took back Northcote and David MacLeod from Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Porou who won New Plymouth.