David Seymour speaks to media after the release of the final election results. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
ACT leader David Seymour has gone back on previous statements that working with Winston Peters' around the Cabinet table would be impossible.
That's despite still believing Peters is New Zealand's most untrustworthy politician.
Seymour says ACT would not sign up anything without knowing what arrangements have been made with other parties, so the party has "reached out" to New Zealand First - but is yet to receive a response.
He has previously said it was "impossible to see us sitting around the Cabinet table" but - speaking to media after the release of the final official vote count on Friday - seemed to have come around.
"Yes, I think that's possible," he said.
He said doing so would not be breaking a promise to the public "because ultimately what people want is better results from policy, they want solutions to their various challenges ... that's what we're committed to delivering".
"The voters make a choice, the voters are king and queen in an electoral process in a democracy like New Zealand and that's what we respect."
He did not regret his comments during the campaign that Peters was "the most untrustworthy politician".
Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
"No I don't, I said that at a time when it appeared unlikely that we'd get to this particular point and now we're here we've got to respect the will of the voters. But what I said is still true and unfortunately we'll do our best to deliver the chnage that people want."
He was asked if he trusted Peters.
"I think it's pretty clear that he's got a track record, our view is that we've got to make the most to deliver for voters," Seymour said.
He said ACT and National had worked "pretty hard" on what a deal between the two would look like. The negotiations in 2017 saw Labour and the Greens come to an agreement before NZ First negotiated separately with Labour, but Seymour was dismissive of that possibility.
"It will be at the very least an equitable arrangement, you certainly won't see a rerun of what happened in 2017 - I don't think that's democratic or respectful.
"We anticipate that we will sit down with all three parties - I expect at some point next week. We've also separately reached out to New Zealand First."
RNZ tried to contact Peters and received no response - but in comments to The Platform, Peters said it was important to "have a conversation with all three ... at the end of the day that's how things will be conducted," but soon after said "this is not my first negotiation, but I'm only negotiating with one side, so to speak, not two".
Peters suggested if the parties' chiefs of staff got in a room, they could sort it out: "it's a matter of logistics".
For his part, National's Christopher Luxon refused to say whether he would favour a full coalition or confidence and supply arrangement, but the party would not be waiting on any recounts before announcing the results of their negotiations.
Christopher Luxon Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
"We will now crack on with the clarity that we have ... as quickly as we possibly can," he said. "At the end of the day I will take as long as it takes to form a strong and stable government."
Strong and stable government is a recurring soundbite from Luxon, but Seymour raised the possibility during the campaign of less secure arrangement if National refused to "fully share power".
His proposal for a confidence-only deal would mean National having to seek ACT's support on spending decisions on a case-by-case basis.
Asked if he could still sit on the cross benches, Seymour said ACT was not ruling out any possibility - but they would not be negotiating via the media.
Luxon's third-in-command Chris Bishop also warned of the risk of going to a second election if they were unable to form a government with NZ First, but Luxon quashed that suggestion, saying there was "no prospect" of another election being needed.
