Editorial: Take a deep breath and let talks take their course

Andrew Austin, editor of the Hawke's Bay Today

The country is well and truly in limbo.

Not held hostage and not in crisis, just in limbo.

There is no need to fear the country being governed by a caretaker National government. After all they sort of know how to do it after nine years.

And anyway, if there was a natural disaster or a country declared war on us, I reckon all parties would do the right thing and work together to solve the crisis.

So, let's all take a deep breath and let the negotiations take their course.

I think New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is right in wanting to wait until all the special votes are counted by October 7 before he makes his decision.

Why wouldn't he? Fifteen per cent of the vote is a large number and those seats could make for that much more of a stable coalition government either way.

Winston Peters is no fool. He may be cantankerous and irritable, but he is an astute politician.

He may look after Winston Peters first, but that does not mean it is to the detriment of the country. He wants what he thinks is best for New Zealand.

He is also a pragmatist. He may play hardball in negotiations and say that he has bottom lines, but when push comes to shove, he will make some compromises.

Mr Peters reckons he has nine permutations in his quest to reach a deal with Labour and National, ranging from full coalition with either party to sitting on the cross-benches and voting issue by issue other than confidence and supply.

Sure, there will be many on either side who don't support his final decision, but this is not First Past the Post, this is MMP.

There is no moral majority, it is all about who can form a government that lasts the full term.

After all, it was you who voted for this.