Final count delivers mandate to Labour

The final election results have left Labour leader Helen Clark in a position to form her third Government, with National losing one MP after the final count.

The final results, including more than 200,000 special votes, has seen the size of Parliament reducing from 122 MPs to 121 and National dropping from 49 MPs to 48.

Helen Clark with 50 MPs, plus the vote of Progressive leader Jim Anderton, needs to build a majority of 61 to pass crucial legislation.

She has begun talks with New Zealand First (seven MPs), the Greens (six), Maori Party (four), United Future (three) to gain support for a Labour-led minority government.

The final result means that National's Katrina Shanks, the last MP to come into Parliament on the election night result, will now not be sworn in as an MP.

The reduction in size of Parliament is due to the Maori Party picking up proportionately more party votes in the final count than it did on election night.

Under the provisional results the Maori Party won four electorate seats but was only entitled to two MPs by the party vote measure.

This led to an overhang of two MPs. Because of their increase in the vote this overhang has been reduced to one MP.

No electorate results changed in the final count.

Labour's Otaki MP Darren Hughes held on to his seat by 382 votes. His was the most marginal result on the night.

Green Party list MP Nandor Tanczos will not be returning to Parliament due to the Greens failure to pick up more special votes.

The results will become final if no one seeks a judicial recount in the District Court by October 5.

If there is no recount the results will be gazetted on October 7.

If there is a recount this could be delayed for about five days.

Electorate MPs could also face legal challenges for their electorate victories, but this would not delay the formation of the next government or Parliament.

- NZPA