File image. Photo: 123rf
The final election results are in and they show incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will need ACT and Winston Peters' New Zealand First to form a government.
Voters on the streets of Auckland reacted to the news - and no-one RNZ spoke to was short of an opinion about Peters.
"He's a ***** but I'm sure Luxon can sort something, he's just as smart as Winston," one person said.
"He's someone I kind of like having in politics just from a humour perspective, if nothing else."
"I don't personally necessarily trust him all that much."
Another said he was "very experienced so it could be OK".
Te Pāti Māori were the biggest winners, taking two key seats from Labour, tripling the size of their caucus and bringing six MPs to Parliament.
That means Labour's former deputy leader Kelvin Davis has lost his electorate seat. He was ahead in Te Tai Tokerau by almost 500 votes on election night but lost to Te Pāti Māori's Mariameno Kapa-Kīngi by 517 votes once special votes were counted.
On the streets of Kawakawa, where Kelvin Davis grew up, quite a few locals were sad to see their MP of nine years go.
"I know Kelvin personally and he's a good guy... it's a bit of shame that he's lost."
Another said they were sad to see Davis go but welcomed the change.
Labour's Helen White retained the Mt Albert seat for Labour over National's Melissa Lee by just 20 votes.
That was down from the 106 vote lead she had on election night, which she thought was really good at the time, taking exception to being questioned about the loss of the 20,000 plus majority held by her predecessor former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern.
"I didn't do badly, I did really really well."
But Mount Albert's constituents were not so convinced.
"Well, not if it's by 20 votes - it's more a reflection of the Labour Party and the fact I think there are an awful lot of people like me who are sick and tired of the legacy parties.
"She's 20 votes luckier, that's all it is.
"I think she just has to work harder, you know to prove her value to the people again but there's still confidence in there."
In another nail biter, former Labour Minister Peeni Henare lost Tāmaki Makaurau to Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Tarsh Kemp by just 4 votes.
Labour's Phil Twyford, who was behind National's Angee Nicholas in Te Atatū by just 30 on election night, scraped in with 131 votes.
Labour's Rachel Boyack boomeranged back into Nelson by 29 votes after trailing National's Blair Cameron on election night.
"I do feel very, very lucky to still be holding this role after what has been a big swing against Labour. I have just received a call from Blair Cameron of the National Party and he has congratulated me and has indicated he probably will be seeking a recount."
National's Vanessa Weenink held onto Banks Peninsula and National's Paulo Garcia increased his majority in New Lynn by 600 votes.
The overall election turnout in 2023 was 78.2 per cent of enrolled voters, down from 81.5 per cent in 2020.
There was a large turnout for Māori overall, with 567,000 voters on both the Māori and general rolls, up from 535,000 in 2020 and 476,000 in 2017.
