Meet the people who will agree upon the next Government

A martial arts teacher and IT consultant are among the select group of New Zealanders set to agree upon the next Government.

The New Zealand First board and caucus will be presented with two options at a special meeting Monday, after final negotiations today.

Some board members are well known, including leader Winston Peters and deputy leader Ron Mark. However, other party figures have little or no public profile.

There is no list of board members on the NZ First website, and the party has declined to release a list. Leader Winston Peters said that was because members were entitled to privacy.

That stance comes despite board details previously being published on the NZ First website, and distributed in material relating to party conferences in past years.

The Herald has confirmed members have very recently included:

• Winston Peters, leader.

• Ron Mark, deputy leader.

• Brent Catchpole, president and former MP.

• Anne Martin, party secretary and mother of MP Tracey Martin.

• Holly Ellen, treasurer.

• Julian Paul, North Island vice president. Works in sales and teaches martial arts and stood in Epsom at the election.

• John Thorn, South Island vice-president.

• Kristin Campbell-Smith, director general ex-officio.

• Kevin Gardener. A former party president.

• Claire Ashley.

• Toa Greening. A Papakura-based information engineering consultant and Manurewa local board member.

• Anne-Marie Andrews.

• Susan Sara, stood in Nelson at the election.

• Robert Monds. An Aucklander and part of a growing number of young people involved in the party.

The board and caucus will be presented with two options at the same meeting. By the time the meeting is over they will have agreed on supporting a National or Labour-led Government.

NZ First is holding a caucus meeting this morning before its negotiating team enter another full day of talks with National and Labour.

Talks today are the fifth and final day of negotiations.

Peters said there wouldn't be a vote at the board and caucus meeting, but discussions would continue until most if not all board members were in agreement.

"You don't want to be going to a vote in these matters. You want a serious consensus. If you haven't got a serious consensus, stay there until you get one."

Peters hit out at media for what he said was the suggestion that he alone would decide whether to back Labour or National, saying his party was and always had been democratic