Watch: Cunliffe: 'Not a good result'
The Asian and Indian communities are represented by four MPs from the National Party - Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Dr Parmjeet Parmar, Dr Jian Yang, Melissa Lee - and Mahesha Bindra from NZ First.
Mr Bakshi, who is the country's first Indian-born Sikh MP, said the range of people chosen by Kiwis to be their democratically elected leaders was humbling.
"It shows that the demographic of New Zealand is changing and this is a true representation of our communities out there."
Mr Bakshi acknowledged that his own electorate, Manukau East, and areas around South Auckland had big migrant populations - people from all the Pacific Islands, Asia and other parts of the world.
The number of Pasifika churches, mosques and gurudwara (Sikh temples) in and around the Manukau area was a reflection of the area's changing demographics, he said, and that was true in other parts of Auckland, such as Mt Roskill and Mt Albert.
"I am a Sikh and there are about 20,000 Sikhs in New Zealand now. The awareness among the Indians is very important ... but it's not just them voting for me," Mr Bakshi said.
"I feel that everyone is a Kiwi and we are proud to be Kiwis. And that is why we work hard for the economy and betterment of our country."
As well as cultural diversity, this Parliament contains several openly gay MPs - Chris Finlayson, Grant Robertson, Kevin Hague, Jan Logie and Louisa Wall.
Their influence at a government level has already been felt with Ms Wall's private member's gay marriage bill passed last year. The bill, which took effect last August, came almost 30 years after homosexuality was decriminalised.
Transgender Labour candidate Kelly Ellis was beaten in the Whangarei electorate.
The Greens' Mojo Mathers also returns to Parliament as the country's first deaf MP.
Auckland Central close win for Kaye
Just 647 votes separate National's Nikki Kaye and Labour's Jacinda Ardern in another hotly contested battle for Auckland Central.
After Hutt South, where Labour's Trevor Mallard clings on by a slim 378 vote margin against National's Chris Bishop, Auckland Centralwas the next closest cliffhanger on election night.
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Election 2014: Key 'it was a tough campaign'
The fight for Auckland Central mirrored 2011 when Ms Ardern came within 717 votes of upsetting Ms Kaye.
Ms Kaye, now a 34-year-old junior Cabinet minister, wrestled the Labour seat from Judith Tizard in 2008 by 1497 votes, the first ever win for National in Auckland Central.
Ms Kaye yesterday acknowledged how Ms Ardern, also 34, had carried herself and said she was pleased her rival was back in Parliament as a list MP.
Strategic voting by Green supporters this year contributed to the close result, Ms Kaye said. Ms Ardern believed boundary changes made it incredibly difficult for her to win.
The electorate lost the left-leaning suburbs of Grey Lynn and Westmere to Mt Albert, and gained population in the Grafton area from Epsom.
Since the National incumbent beat Ms Tizard in 2008, Ms Ardern has chipped away at Ms Kaye's support. Where the final result will land will be decided by special votes. Ms Ardern rejected the argument that gentrification of inner-city suburbs had taken Auckland Central out of reach of Labour, saying, like the highly educated and liberal seat of Wellington Central held by Labour's Grant Robertson, the seat was winnable.
Asked if she would be back for a third attempt, Ms Ardern said: "In the short term I have no intention to go anywhere but I need to talk to my team about what happens next."
Ms Kaye, the youngest woman National has had in Cabinet, said she represented a diverse community with strong interest in the environment. The Greens polled 21.4 per cent of the party vote.
She said the city needed another school near the CBD and wanted to help with a new community swimming pool on Waiheke.
For a full round-up of the Herald's election 2014 coverage, go here.
- additional reporting Bernard Orsman
