A former Labour Party president believes Labour's dismal election result will prove fatal for David Cunliffe.

The text of the letter David Cunliffe sent to Labour members, supporters and affiliated unions on Saturday night, after the party's shocking election result.

The bride wore all white but her vote was all blue.

Jason Ede, a former Beehive staffer in the PM's office who was widely quoted in the Dirty Politics book, has quit his position with the National Party.

Up on last time, but one of the worst voter turnouts this century.

Labour has clung on to its three Christchurch seats, but is puzzled and dismayed at National's clean sweep of party votes in the earthquake-battered city.

Green MP-in-waiting James Shaw admits he didn't appeal to the protester-activist core of the party when he showed up to meetings in a suit and a CV that included global firms HSBC and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

If loyalty to the leader is highly valued, it's not hard to see why new New Zealand First MP Fletcher Tabueau rocketed his way up the party list.

This election has seen the highest ever number of Pasifika candidates voted in as members of parliament.

Mike Hosking writes: National had the best case. The best project to present. The best story to tell. The best numbers to back them.

The election success of National has weakened the bargaining power of their support parties.

John Key's achievement on Saturday is historically remarkable.

The election turned out like it did because the attack politics described in Dirty Politics work, says its author Nicky Hager.

Five things for business to take on board while John Key relishes his victory and forms his next Government.

The Green Party is vowing to keep its ties with Labour and has no plans to dramatically change tack by aligning with National or returning to its roots as primarily an environmental party.

John Key yesterday began his third term as Prime Minister with a strict warning to National MPs and ministers: don't get arrogant.

For the changes in the Labour's rules which David Cunliffe was party to and which he promoted in order to undermine Shearer could end up destroying his own leadership.

New Zealand financial markets are expected to firm when they open today after the National Party secured the first ever outright win.

Liam dann writes: If New Zealand is "on the cusp" of something exciting, as John Key has promised, then it is on the economy which we should now be expecting him to deliver.

Rugby was the winner on the day. Well, Israel Dagg was.

Mumbai born and educated New Zealand First MP-in-waiting Mahesh Bindra says he is living proof the party and its leader Winston Peters are not anti-immigration and anti-Asian.

Labour's new Manukau East MP and Parliament's first Tongan-speaking member, Jenny Salesa, says she has been overwhelmed by the tremendous support from voters.

Winston Peters yesterday appeared dead-set on taking a leading role in opposition against John Key's new Government but some of his MPs won't shut the door on National.

Former minister Judith Collins is returning to Parliament but appears to have been punished by voters in Papakura, with her majority halved.

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says he is not ruling out extending an olive branch to Mana leader Hone Harawira - but won't say if he could work with him again.

The dreamlike quality of the 2014 election was only confirmed yesterday when New Zealand woke to discover that everything was pretty much unchanged.

A high tide that swept centre-right parties to their historic victory rose most strongly in Labour's traditional South Auckland strongholds.

Just over half the available voters in the Maori electorates had voted by election day.

Former television man Tamati Coffey's first politics bid may have fallen short, but that doesn't mean he'll be returning to the small screen.