He said internet-Mana's 'Moment of Truth' had hurt the opposition parties.
"I do think that a lot of middle New Zealand sort of rejected their notion of a group of foreigners looking at having a very heavy influence on an election that is New Zealand's election."
A majority vote of 48.1 per cent sees Prime Minister John Key's party with enough seats to govern alone - something which has not happened since MMP was introduced in 1996.
ELECTION INTERACTIVE: Every vote, every seat, every result
Provisional results give National 61 seats in Parliament, while Labour will lose three seats in its lowest electoral result since 1992, polling at 24.7 per cent.
Labour leader David Cunliffe said today he wanted to continue as leader of the party, but would call for a vote on the leadership and contest his job again.
"The feedback I've had widely across the party has been that I have the vision and have proven myself on the campaign trail."
No other MPs had told him they intended to challenge, he said, but today Grant Robertson and David Shearer would not rule it out publicly.
Mr Cunliffe blamed internet Party founder Kim Dotcom for creating a spectacle during the campaign, depriving opposition parties of airtime and splitting the left vote, calling his actions "reprehensible".
However, he also admitted that Labour should not have turned down an offer from the Greens to form a more unified opposition.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said his party, which takes 11 MPs into parliament, would aim to be the "leading opposition party", claiming to have both "the experience and the record".
Act Party leader Jamie Whyte, who failed to secure a seat in Parliament, has admitted his position as party leader is uncertain, and the party brand "tarnished" after polling at just 0.7 per cent.
Image 1 of 25: Internet Mana supporters Sister Detailz (left) and Karl Pearce at the Internet Party election night function at The Cloud on the Auckland waterfront. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Maori Party leader Te Ururoa Flavell said, despite not reaching the party goal of securing all Maori seats, he had "some serious building blocks" to work with.
"We're looking forward to building on the momentum rather than just going back three years again."
Internet Party leader Laila Harre blamed the left for failing to unite and work strategically to secure a win, and admitted that the gamble of working with Mana had not worked out.
Mana Party leader Hone Harawira, who lost his Te Tai Tokerau seat to Labour, has not spoken publicly today.
