Clark in caretaker role as parties jostle

Helen Clark

Helen Clark will remain caretaker Prime Minister until it becomes clear she cannot govern or until she brokers a coalition deal which could win a confidence vote in Parliament.

Constitutional conventions require her to resign if she is not able to stitch together sufficient support to command the confidence of the House of Representatives.

Former Governor-General, Sir Michael Hardie Boys, in 1996 spelled out the requirements for new governments just ahead of New Zealand's first MMP election.

His clear directive was that it must be MPs who decide who will govern, and that government forming should not be rushed.

He said it was not for the Governor-General to become involved, which reflected a desire for the Head of State's representative not to be compromised by politics.

But the present Governor-General, Dame Silvia Cartwright, could take some steps to hurry along talks if they become protracted or stalemated.

Those steps would generally be to facilitate talks with party leaders, to persuade them to look more closely at which parties could win a confidence vote.

After Saturday's election, with Parliament now comprising 122 MPs, a government would normally need 62 votes to win confidence motions unless one or more parties decides to abstain.

After negotiations, a bloc may be able to publicly announce it has the numbers to form a government.

If that cannot happen, then the backing for a particular bloc would be tested by a formal vote in Parliament.

If no party, or combination of parties, could win a confidence vote, then a fresh election would be called.