Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the next Government will be formed within the next few weeks, following the party's resounding victory in the 2020 General Election.
Saturday night's results have given the Labour Party the numbers to govern alone. With 64 seats, Labour will be the first party able to do so since MMP was introduced in 1996.
Speaking to reporters in Auckland on Sunday afternoon, Ardern said work on forming the next Government was already underway, and she had met with senior members of her team to work through a timetable.
She said there was a clear mandate to form a Government before the results were finalised and she had spoken to the Governor-General to confirm she is able to do so.
"We anticipated... perhaps having that number of list MPs. What's interesting is we've had a number of seats turn."
Ardern said she believed last night's results were a vote of confidence in Labour's COVID-19 plan and recovery.
She said there was nothing further to report regarding contact with the Greens and the Labour caucus will meet on Monday.
"I have said that I want to talk with the Greens and we will do that next week."
She has not been in contact with the Māori Party.
But she said Labour did have the mandate to form a Government alone.
"It's fair to say there is a range, over various MMP governments, of agreements... I don't want to draw any conclusion at this point."
When it comes to assigning ministerial roles, Ardern said she would ensure the party was drawing on "experience and new talent".
Ardern did not comment when asked if there could be any non-Labour ministers.
The Labour leader said there were COVID-19 priorities she wanted to achieve before the end of 2020.
She said previously "very different opinions in Government" have slowed things down, but Labour now had a clear mandate to get things done.
Asked if she will run in 2023, she said: "I've only just run in 2020."
"My hope is we have elections that move beyond the divisiveness of politics."
RNZ
