Vote 2017: The highlights of a memorable campaign

Winston Peters has announced that he has chosen a coalation with with Labour, which will make Jacinda Ardern our new Prime Minister.

It was a memorable election campaign, no matter how you look at it. Here are the key events:

July 21 - Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei admits committing benefit fraud in the 1990s.

August 1 - Jacinda Ardern becomes Labour leader after Andrew Little stands down.

August 7 - Green MPs Kennedy Graham and David Clendon quit over Turei's continued leadership.

August 9 - Turei quits as co-leader of the Greens.

August 15 - It's revealed Labour MP Chris Hipkins asked questions in Parliament about Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's New Zealand citizenship. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says she'd find it difficult to work with a New Zealand Labour government as a result.

August 21 - United Future leader Peter Dunne retires from politics.

August 27 - NZ First leader Winston Peter admits being overpaid superannuation for seven years.

August 31 - Opinion poll puts Labour ahead of National for the first time in 12 years.

September 3 - National deputy leader Paula Bennett says some Kiwis have fewer human rights than others, later says she misspoke.

September 4 - National's finance spokesman Steven Joyce accuses Labour of having an $11.7 billion fiscal hole in their budget but Labour and economists disagree.

September 5 - The Wall Street Journal compares Ardern to US President Donald Trump on immigration.

September 10 - Poll shows Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell has a big lead over Labour challenger Tamati Coffey in Waiariki.

September 13 - National MP Jian Yang admits teaching English at an elite Chinese spy school.

September 15 - Documents reveal MFAT didn't provide the government with legal advice on the risk of being sued by Hamood Al Ali Al Khalaf in the lead-up to the Saudi sheep deal.

September 18 - Farmers protest in Ardern's home town Morrinsville against Labour's water tax proposal.

September 23 - Election day. National wins 58 seats, Labour 45, NZ First nine, the Green Party seven and ACT one. The Maori Party and United Future are out of parliament.

September 24 - Kingmaker Winston Peters says his party will make a decision after special votes are counted.

October 2 - English and Ardern speak to Peters on the phone.

October 4 - The first preliminary coalition talks between NZ First and National and NZ First and Labour happen.

October 7 - National loses two seats, Labour and the Green Party pick up one each as official results are released.

October 8 - Formal negotiations begin between NZ First, National and Labour.

October 12 - Peters expected to make a decision that will be announced "as soon as possible after Thursday".

- NZN