The country is still waiting to see the final makeup of its next government as National and ACT refuse to reveal any details until all the special votes are counted.
It comes as senior Labour minister Andrew Little announces his decision to retire from politics.
National cruised to an election victory on Saturday night, landing almost 39 percent of the vote. But attention has now turned to the make-up of the coalition.
National and ACT have a very slim majority with 61 seats together in a 121-seat Parliament, but history shows the special votes tend to favour the left. National's campaign chair Chris Bishop backed up that sentiment, saying on Sunday National expects to lose "at least one" seat.
If it does lose a seat it would need NZ First to form a government and incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is refusing to rule anything in or out.
What you need to know:
- National is refusing to give away any information about negotiations. Leader Christopher Luxon says he doesn't intend to be updating media with every detail as National looks to form a Government with ACT and possibly New Zealand First.
- National and ACT can form a Government on the preliminary numbers, but that may change after the special votes are counted, requiring NZ First to be needed.
- Vote breakdown with 100 percent of preliminary results counted: National (38.95%), Labour (26.9%), Greens (10.77%), ACT (8.98%), NZ First (6.46%), Te Pāti Māori (2.61%)
- Special votes will be counted and released by November 3.
- Senior Labour minister Andrew Little has announced he is retiring from politics.
These live updates have finished.
4:50pm - The class of 2023 at Parliament.
4:30pm - Labour MP and former minister Michael Wood posted on Facebook earlier on Tuesday.
"The election night result was clearly a terrible one for Labour, and I’m really sorry to see many great colleagues not make it through. The same trend has also played out in Mt Roskill. I’ve taken a few days to rest and spend time with family (and start tidying up the vege garden) and will have more to say once the final results are confirmed, but in the meantime here are a few important things to note.
"At this stage the National candidate Carlos Cheung is in the box seat to be the next MP for Mt Roskill and I have spoken with him to acknowledge this and congratulate him on a strong result. The result will be confirmed when all votes are counted and published by the Electoral Commission in early November. These ‘special’ votes from people who voted from overseas or enrolled late could number around 8000-10,000 so it is important they are fully taken into account."
The post goes on to say how it was an "extraordinary honour" to be the electorate's MP. He also thanks his local team, says there is "significant work" needed to "rebuild the Labour vote" and details some of his accomplishments in office.
Due to his low list ranking, Wood won't return to Parliament as a List MP.
4:20pm - Green MP Chloe Swarbrick and incoming Wellington Central Green MP Tamatha Paul have posted a picture together on Instagram. It's captioned by Paul: "Ministers of Being Skuxx". Neither will be ministers in the next Government, which will likely be comprised of National, ACT and possibly New Zealand First.
4:10pm - Chris Hipkins has posted on Instagram about the departure of Andrew Little.
"Andrew Little played a huge role in laying the groundwork for the election of the Labour Government," he said.
"He steadied the ship, bought focus to the job of Leader of the Opposition, and then in the most selfless manner handed leadership to Jacinda and facilitated the 2017 result.
"Over the last six years he has been a top class Minister, always a stable pair of hands who could be relied on. He ushered through major justice and health reforms. Labour through and through, I wish him all the best for his future."
3:39pm - David Parker says he didn't challenge for the Labour leadership and never planned to. He says his "current intention" is to stay in Parliament.
When asked whether he would consider becoming leader in the future, he said: "I am not considering it. We have a leader currently. We haven't got a new Caucus yet. We are not discussing leadership at the moment."
When asked what "at the moment" meant, Parker clarified he didn’t mean to imply anything by that.
3:23pm - Hipkins says he passionately believes in the role of opposition but says it will be quite a transition. He also revealed former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern messaged him on election night saying, "Lots of love".
3:20pm - He says it's incredibly difficult to farewell a significant number of their colleagues. But Hipkins conceded O'Connor's comment was "not acceptable".
Hipkins also revealed no other MPs have any current plans to retire.
3:16pm - Hipkins says "emotions have been running a little high today" and people will forgive a bit of temperance. It came after he was asked about senior Minister O'Connor telling Newshub to "f**k off".
3:11pm - Chris Hipkins is remaining leader of the Labour Party after the disastrous election results.
Hipkins told reporters he still has a "bit of fight" in him.
He said the Caucus is still not confirmed and will only be done once the special votes have been counted. There will be a more formal leadership vote once the final election results are back.
Kelvin Davis is also still the Deputy leader of the Labour Party. Hipkins told reporters he still has a "bit of fight" in him.
2:38pm - Labour leader Chris Hipkins is expected to speak to the media shortly.
2:04pm - Andrew Little has shared a simple social media post to mark his resignation.
"Over and out," the outgoing MP captioned a photo with a split screen of him dabbing and his resignation letter.
1:35pm - Mt Albert MP Helen White says she is "proud" of her election result despite keeping the historic Labour stronghold with the slimmest of margins.
On the preliminary results, White has reduced Labour's almost 20,000 vote margin from the last election to just 103.
Newshub Political Editor Jenna Lynch said on election night that White "should be ashamed of herself" about that result.
On Tuesday, Newshub asked White whether she was embarrassed about almost losing the Mt Albert seat.
"No, I'm really, really proud of my result," White responded.
1:25pm - Little says he told caucus that you need ego in politics, but you also need humility and self-awareness. He made that comment in response to a question about reflecting on how he stood down as Labour leader to allow Jacinda Ardern to step up.
He says Labour is "in very good heart" despite Saturday night's result. He said the party is "very strong" and it should be focused on its next time in Government.
Little says the Labour Party is the "nation-building party".
Little says Hipkins had a "hard ask" taking over from Ardern. He said Hipkins came up against "the incredible circumstances" of Cyclone Gabrielle and tough economic conditions.
He has no plans other than to return to the Law.
1:20pm - Andrew Little says he is leaving politics as he wants Labour to build new talent for the next time Labour is Government.
He says there is a huge depth of talent in the MPs who have entered the caucus over the past two terms.
He believes the party should think not just about its time in Opposition, but also its next time in Government. He doesn't believe that should include him.
Little says being a minister is an "extraordinary privilege" and he enjoyed all his portfolios. He doesn't have one thing that stands out.
1:10pm - You can watch a livestream of Andrew Little speaking to media here.
1pm - Labour leader Chris Hipkins says Little's resignation wasn't a surprise. The pair had a conversation over the weekend.
"I want to acknowledge Andrew for his humility and for always putting the interests of the team first," he said.
Little wanted to create space for someone else to be in the Labour caucus, the leader said.
Hipkins described the mood in the Labour caucus room as "bittersweet" as they farewell colleagues.
"I am incredibly proud of all of them."
12:55pm - Grant Robertson says it's very sad Andrew Little is leaving.
"Great colleague, someone who [made] a massive contribution as a minister," he said.
Robertson said he made a huge contribution to the Labour movement, including as a former Labour President.
He said it's been an "emotional day" in the Labour caucus room.
Robertson said the caucus meeting has focused so far on farewelling MPs. The new caucus will meet soon.
12:45pm - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated Christopher Luxon on his election victory.
"I wish him the best of luck in his new position and look forward to expanding our cooperation. I also thank @chrishipkins for his government's support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression."
Luxon replied on Twitter: "Thank you Mr President. New Zealand’s support of Ukraine will remain strong under my government and I look forward to working together as leaders of our two countries."
12:40pm - Little has held a number of senior roles during his time in politics. He was first elected to Parliament in November 2011. He became the Leader of the Opposition in 2014 but stood down ahead of the 2017 election, allowing Jacinda Ardern to take the leadership.
During the Labour Government's time in office, he has held several portfolios, including the Minister of Justice, Minister of Health and Minister of Defence.
12:30pm - Labour’s Andrew Little will retire from politics.
According to a statement, he will not take up his List seat for the 54th Parliament and will retire from politics.
Statement:
"I'm grateful for the opportunities my country and party have given me to serve the community," Andrew Little said.
"With the party going into opposition it's important to give those who will form the Seventh Labour Government every opportunity to home their skills and cement a strong team.
"Labour stands for the fundamental values of millions of New Zealanders: a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, opportunities for the many not just the few, and respect for all people and communities.
"There are no words to adequately thank my wife and son, and the many others who have given unwavering support throughout my time in politics.
"The labour movement is bigger than any caucus or parliamentary term, and bigger than any individual," Andrew Little said.
Andrew Little expects to return to the law.
As Andrew Little is a List MP his resignation will not require a by-election and the next eligible person on the 2023 Labour Party List will be elected.
12:25pm - Senior Labour minister Damien O'Connor has told Newshub to "f*** off" on camera.
O'Connor lost his West Coast-Tasman seat to National's Maureen Pugh on Saturday night, with Pugh having a 915-vote lead on the preliminary results.
Labour MPs are currently meeting, discussing leadership and the party's future.
O'Connor came out and Newshub asked if Chris Hipkins was still leader.
"F*** off. I am just going to the toilet," he said.
On his way back he said: "What are you doing here?"
Media have been allowed to wait in the corridors outside of the Labour caucus room.
12:05pm - Just jumping back into Hipkins' comments from earlier.
He said his focus was currently on ensuring a smooth transition to the new Government as well as making sure Labour can transition into being a "formidable Opposition". He would play any role necessary to helping with that.
"It has been a pretty brutal weekend," he said.
He has heard from MPs who are considering their own future.
Hipkins is currently in a Labour meeting, where he said there would be discussions about the party's future.
He said he wasn't done with politics. Hipkins said he had committed to be the Remutaka MP for the next three years.
11:51am - Newshub can hear clapping and laughing coming from the Labour caucus room as MPs meet.
11:47am - Labour's Willie Jackson says he thinks there could be a challenge to Hipkins' leadership after the election defeat – but he hopes there isn't.
He says he supports Hipkins"100 percent" and called him an "outstanding leader" who had had some bad luck.
He added the "vast majority of our Caucus support Hipkins".
11:17am – ACT leader David Seymour says cutting taxes won't offer Kiwis relief if inflation and interest rates don't come down.
Stats NZ released data on Tuesday showing the consumer price index (CPI) was 5.6 percent in the 12 months to September, falling 0.4 percentage points from June's annual data.
Despite inflation trending down, Seymour lashed out at the outgoing Labour government saying it wasn't dropping fast enough.
"New Zealand's inflation rate has become a global outlier. Other nations, like the United States and Canada, have been nearing the 3 percent mark while New Zealanders face ongoing cost increases. The 8.8 per cent increase in the cost of food in the year to September hurts Kiwi families.
"The challenges New Zealand faces can be addressed. But in order to do that there needs to be a strong economy built around creating conditions for prosperity, giving people the opportunity to get ahead.
"This is what the next Government has been elected to do. ACT received our biggest ever election result off the back of consistently being the voice of common sense when it comes to New Zealand's economy.
"Cutting taxes won't work if there's no relief on inflation and interest rates. Something's got to give. With ACT in charge of the economy it would be the billions of wasteful spending that has been stoked over the past six years.
"ACT has been unapologetic in its focus to cut waste. We identified a full $25.5 billion in savings over four years in our alternative budget.
"The next Government will face tough choices wrestling down inflation, interest rates, and debt. ACT is prepared to do the hard work and tell the truth, and that's why ACT is the essential fiscal conscience in any new Government to fix the economy and get Kiwi families' living costs under control."
11:09am - Andrew Little is also supporting Hipkins as leader, saying he should stay on.
11:08am - Labour's Rachel Brooking said the election results are "terrible for the country". She says she totally backs Hipkins as leader of the Labour Party.
11:04am - Grant Robertson is also refusing to commit to a full three years in opposition. He says his focus is on building a strong opposition and then he will "reassess".
But he says he "strongly believes" in what Labour stands for. Robertson has thrown his support behind Hipkins as Labour and again ruled out any interest in leadership.
11:02am - Hipkins also joked about confusion over the gender of his partner Toni on election night.
"Toni is a very special woman, just to be clear – it's Toni with an I. I Didn't quite mean to trigger that set of rumours on Saturday night," Hipkins joked.
"We've known each other for a long time but our lives sort of went in different directions... but we got back in touch this year."
He said it isn't easy starting a new relationship during an election campaign.
10:55am - Labour leader Chris Hipkins has revealed he will be having a conversation with his team shortly about his leadership.
He says his focus is on ensuring a smooth transition to the new Government
10:52am - Labour's Helen White says the Green Party split the vote in Mt Albert. White says Labour did really, really well despite only being ahead by a little over 100 votes.
She says that's good considering the results for Labour in Auckland, such as losing Mt Roskill. She added the Auckland lockdown was hard on people.
10:50am – Outgoing Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced $5 million in support to address urgent humanitarian needs in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
"New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories," Hipkins said.
"The situation continues to evolve rapidly, and New Zealand is joining other like-minded countries to support those civilians and communities affected by the conflict.
"We're making an initial contribution of $2.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to help meet humanitarian needs in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
"The ICRC protects and assists victims of armed conflicts under international humanitarian law, and is working to gain access to people held hostage, distributing cash and other assistance to displaced people, and providing essential medical assistance and supplies.
"We're also contributing an initial $2.5 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) under the umbrella of the United Nations appeal.
"This will help address major food insecurity concerns in Gaza and the West Bank, including through the positioning of emergency food stock ready for distribution once access is guaranteed.
"New Zealand calls for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to enable the delivery of crucial life-saving assistance. We call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, and uphold their obligations to protect civilians, and humanitarian workers, including medical personnel," he said.
Both the ICRC and WFP act with full independence and neutrality.
The Government has also requested that NZDF remain on standby to assist with the evacuation of New Zealanders if required.
Many of the 244 New Zealanders still registered as being in Israel have now departed the country. MFAT’s focus is now on approximately 50 people we understand are still in Israel. There is no reason to be concerned about their welfare at this stage but MFAT have made contact to clarify if any require assistance.
"Commercial routes remain the best option to depart the region, and MFAT is actively providing consular assistance to New Zealanders who remain in the affected region. Anyone who wishes to depart should take the earliest commercial opportunity to do so.
"While not everyone wanting to leave can necessarily get themselves to a departure point, the Government has requested NZDF to remain on standby to deploy if necessary.
"We continue to work closely with partners on evacuation options for those who cannot access commercial routes, but the security situation on the ground make this difficult."
New Zealand's contribution was determined following consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.
10:35am - Luxon has arrived in Caucus to welcome his new MPs to cheers and clapping.
He says welcoming 23 new National MPs is "so exciting".
"I just want to say to all of our 23 new MPs we are so proud of you," Luxon said.
10:31am - When asked whether there was any wiggle room on National's tax plan, Luxon says they will "deliver tax relief for lower and middle-income New Zealanders".
10:24am - Luxon refused to answer whether he was unimpressed by the way former National leader Bill English undertook negotiation arrangements. It comes after Luxon has repeatedly said he wanted to do negotiations differently from the past.
10:22am - Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says it is a pretty exciting day for National with the new MPs joining for the first caucus meeting
He promises to be a transparent and accountable Prime Minister. But he says it's premature to be discussing who gets what portfolios. He will be looking at seniority, experience and people who can propose policy ideas.
The only portfolios locked in so far are Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis, he said.
The only portfolio he is willing to commit will go National’s way is Finance. He hasn’t thought much yet about whether he wants a portfolio himself other than Prime Minister.
There is real value for him spending time managing the coalition, he said.
10:03am - The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) says its campaign against the National Party during the election trail was "money well spent" despite the blue-nami election result.
CTU chief executive Richard Wagstaff joined AM on Tuesday and when asked by AM's Ryan Bridge if he regrets getting involved and "being so negative" during the campaign – he said he does not.
"No, we don't regret that at all."
The CTU ran a series of ads which featured a black and white picture of Prime Minister elect Christopher Luxon with "out of touch" and "too much at risk" written in capital letters below him.
Read the full story here.
9:45am - Labour MP Shanan Halbert, who has lost his Northcote seat and is unlikely at this stage to return on the list, said he was looking forward to seeing his colleagues.
"I am disappointed in the result. I worked hard in Northcote. I am sorry I didn't make it through, but that is the nature of politics."
9:35am - AM hosts have hit out at some ousted Labour MPs for their bizarre reactions, saying some of the comments were "embarrassing".
One MP that the AM hosts hit out at was former Education Minister Jan Tinetti.
"You might think I'm looking relaxed now because I felt a weight has been lifted off me at the same time," Tinetti, who failed to win Tauranga but might make it back into Parliament on the list ranking, said on Monday.
Those comments didn't go down well with AM co-host Laura Tupou.
"I don't know, it's such an important job... don't you want that job because you want to make a change? She's a former principal," she questioned.
It wasn't just Tinetti that caught the ire of the AM hosts. Former Labour list MP based in North Canterbury Dan Rosewarne was mourning the loss of the perks that came with the job.
"The biggest thing for me was, you know, going into the Koru Lounge and then the red lights of doom go off because your Koru Club has been cancelled. All about moving from champagne to lemonade," Rosewarne said on Monday.
9:20am - Labour MP Kieran McAnulty, who lost his Wairarapa seat but will return to Parliament on the list, said his team plans to "go hard".
"What choice have we got?" he said.
He said the Labour caucus meeting later on Tuesday was an "opportunity for everyone to get together".
He said there was "not a chance" he will take the leadership should Chris Hipkins stand down.
Hipkins is yet to make clear his future plans. He said on Saturday he and the Labour team will take some time to reflect. He will speak to media later on Tuesday.
9:15am - Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki is one of the Labour MPs who will be leaving the party.
She said she was "stunned" but "grateful" after six years as a Labour MP. She said Labour come back from its poor result.
"It has been an honour."
9:10am - Speaking to Newshub, Labour MP Helen White said she felt "sadness" at the loss of "talented" MPs and "so grateful" about her result in Mt Albert.
White currently leads in Mt Albert, but only by a little over 100 votes. National's Melissa Lee is just behind her. It's a shocking result considering Mt Albert is meant to be a Labour stronghold and was previously held by Dame Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark.
She wouldn't speculate about whether she will hold the seat after the specials are counted.
"I am hoping," she said.
8:38am - Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined The Project on Monday night. Luxon said the election result was fantastic and now he's just ready to get to work.
He said he feels like he's been doing a job interview for two years and is excited to finally have the gig.
8:08am - Labour is farewelling several of its MPs who did not make it back into Parliament in its brutal election defeat.
The 2020 Caucus will meet at 11am to farewell the departing MPs before the new Caucus meets at 1pm.
