Election Results: Drinking with the stars, Seymour toasts to another three years

Listen: ACT party leader David Seymour thrilled with the party’s success in this election. Audio / Newstalk ZB

It seems Act Party Leader David Seymour enjoyed election night - possibly a little too much.

It was an extremely successful night for Seymour and his party.

After Saturday's results, Seymour will now have at least nine other MPs in parliament with him.

Twitter users picked up on Seymour slurring words during interviews on TV.

David Seymour should be cuffed..
And judging by his drunk as a skunk language he soon will be lol

— Tracker McIntosh (@McintoshTracker) October 17, 2020

David Seymour is going to spend the next three years drunk because of all the shenanigans his rogue's gallery of cranks get up to

— Lew (@LewSOS) October 17, 2020

How drunk is David Seymour though 😂 #NZElection2020

— Mike Nicholas 🥝 (@mikenicholasnz) October 17, 2020

In an interview with Newstalk ZB, a very happy Seymour spoke with a glass of bubbles in hand.

"When I said I'd stop drinking, I didn't mean stop drinking champagne on election night," he said.

Earlier in the night Seymour arrived at Act headquarters in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour in style: On a boat.

When asked what he thought about the support at Act HQ, Seymour replied: "I have a lot of people to thank because so many good people have come out and supported our campaign so I'm just saying thank you."

Seymour told Mike Hosking he was happy with the vote and thanked his neighbours in the Epsom electorate who trusted him enough to re-elect him for another term.

Seymour thanked those who "gave up the hard-earned money after the IRD got it" and made donations towards the Act campaign.

He said his party would continue to push back on the Covid-19 response.

"Along with defending the fundamental freedoms of New Zealanders to their property rights, their freedom of speech and to our autonomy over our own body.

"That's what we believe in because a free society is a beautiful society and that's what the Act Party stands for - the inherent dignity of every individual.

"That's what this team will be standing up for in the Parliament on your behalf every day from tomorrow."

Seymour said it was "bittersweet" because although Act had done well, the overall result "is not good for New Zealand".

"For Act this is just a stepping stone for building a platform and an agenda of real reform to make New Zealand a better place. This is not our 2020 campaign election night party.

"This is our 2023 election campaign launch."