Andrew Little has been named the new Labour leader, in a close-won race with fellow contender Grant Robertson.
The announcement was made this afternoon in the Labour caucus room, after around a month of nationwide hustings.
The difference between Mr Robertson and Mr Little was only 1.04 percent of the overall vote, with 49.48 percent and 50.52 percent respectively.
Caucus and party members had a 40 percent say each in who their preferred leader was, with affiliated unions getting the remaining 20 percent.
- READ MORE: How Labour's new leader was elected
Mr Little, unsurprisingly garnered much of the union vote, with 15.11 percent of the overall tally.
He was competing with Mr Robertson, David Parker and Nanaia Mahuta for the top job, left vacant following the resignation of David Cunliffe after the party's disastrous election result of 25 percent.
Ms Mahuta was knocked out in the first round with 14.89 percent, while Mr Parker was out of the running in the second with 20.58 percent.
Mr Robertson said he was disappointed with the result, and has vowed to never stand for the leadership again after two failed bids.
"I feel it's time for me to put my nose to the grindstone about getting Labour elected. I came into politics to make a positive difference in New Zealanders' lives, that will only happen in my view when Labour are in government," he said.
"I'm taking the idea of me running off the table. I'm not going to do it."
Mr Little now has a tough job on his hands rebuilding his front bench, but says the other contenders will be lined up for senior roles.
However, one certainty is Mr Parker won't get the finance portfolio after ruling himself out for the role as well as deputy leader.
That leaves the door open for Mr Cunliffe to be the finance spokesman, who said he'd take any job offered to him in the reshuffle.
Mr Cunliffe says the job Mr Little has just been picked for won't be easy, but believes he will be up to it.
"I believe he'll be able to unify the caucus and he'll be a strong leader of Labour," he says.
Labour leadership role an 'immense privilege'
In a press conference this afternoon Mr Little thanked the other contenders for the "clean-fought race".
"I don't underestimate the task ahead. We are at 25 percent of the party vote in the last election and we have work to do," he said.
"The caucus needs a plan that we all agree on, a strategy to work to and we need discipline and focus and we will have that under my leadership."
He said it was an "immense privilege" to have been elected the party's new leader, and has already taken aim at the National Government.
"The current Government has shown its disdain for New Zealanders with its attacks on Kiwis' rights at work, their right to privacy, and in its moves to sell our housing an assets its mistreatment of the families of the Pike River disaster," says Mr Little.
"Andrew has the leadership skills and the vision to win the trust of New Zealanders and take Labour to victory in 2017," says Party President Moira Coatsworth. "I have no doubt he will go on to become a great Labour Prime Minister who builds a stronger, fairer and more sustainable New Zealand."
Meanwhile the Green Party has offered its congratulations to Mr Little and says it's looking forward to working with him.
"We have had good working relationships with previous Labour leaders and look forward to building on this with Andrew Little," says Green Party co-leader Russel Norman.
Former leader Mr Cunliffe had originally planned to recontest for the job, but later pulled out and put his support behind Mr Little.
In the temporary void left by Mr Cunliffe, then deputy leader Mr Parker was named acting leader with Annette King the acting deputy.
However, when Mr Parker announced his intention to run for the leadership, Ms King took over many of the leaders' responsibilities including talking to media and asking questions in the House.
Ms Mahuta announced her leadership bid just hours before nominations closed, while Mr Robertson named Jacinda Ardern as his preferred deputy.
The deadline for voting closed at midday today.
The party uses a preferential voting system, meaning those eligible to vote indicate who they wanted to lead the party and also rank the candidates from best to worst.
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source: newshub archive
