Election 2023: ‘Kingmaker’ Winston Peters to launch Port Waikato byelection campaign in Pukekohe today

The kingmaker of the 2023 election, Winston Peters, will be fronting a crowd of supporters again today to launch New Zealand First’s Port Waikato byelection campaign.

The byelection, sparked by the sudden death of Act Party candidate Neil Christensen during the general election campaign, will be held on November 25.

Yesterday, Peters and National Leader Christopher Luxon saw each other for the first time since it was confirmed the pair will likely work together to form the next Government.

A spokesperson for Luxon last night declined to comment on when the two would be meeting this week to discuss what the Government would look like.

Speaking in front of a crowd of thousands at Auckland’s Aotea Square for yesterday’s Diwali celebration, Luxon addressed his kingmaker coalition partner but the pair did not speak, a party spokesperson confirmed.

“The right honourable Winston Peters is here,” Luxon said during his opening remarks.

“It’s good to see you here, sir.”

Peters refused to answer questions when approached by media.

NZ First leader Winston Peters at the Auckland Diwali Festival yesterday. Photo / Dean Purcell

The Port Waikato seat is being contested by nine candidates, including NZ First’s Casey Costello and National’s Andrew Bayly, who is favoured to win the traditionally blue electorate.

This afternoon Peters is joining Costello at the party’s byelection launch at Pukekohe’s PIA Event Centre.

Advanced voting opens on November 13 with final voting day on November 25.

As Bayly was high enough on the National list to get in on election night, his list spot will go to the next National candidate down if he wins the byelection. That would give National one more seat than its 48 won in the election.

The Labour Party won’t stand a candidate in the byelection, saying contesting an “unwinnable byelection takes focus and resources away” from Labour’s transition to opposition.

National Party leader and Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon at the Auckland Diwali Festival in Aotea Square. Photo / Dean Purcell

Luxon told media shortly after the final election results were released on Friday afternoon that he would “get cracking” on forming a government. He said he would work through the weekend on coalition negotiations - but he could not guarantee completing those negotiations by the Apec gathering on November 12-13.

Peters told The Platform that Luxon had called him a mere two minutes after the final count was released.

The final numbers, which included more than 600,000 special votes, meant National lost two seats compared with election night on October 14, and with it the slim one-seat majority it held with Act.

Due to Te Pāti Māori winning six electorates, Parliament will have a two-seat overhang, as they won more electorate seats than through their share of the party vote (3 per cent), with another seat to be added after the Port Waikato byelection making up a record 123 seats.

That means 62 seats are needed to form a majority.

In the final results, National dropped from 50 seats on election night to 48, while Act remained on 11. That gave the two parties a combined 59 seats, meaning another three seats are needed to form a government.

That brought NZ First into the picture, which remained steady on the eight seats it recorded on election night. Together the three parties would have 67 seats, with another seat likely to be added with Bayly the favourite to win the Port Waikato byelection.