The final results delivered on Friday, which included more than 600,000 special votes, saw National drop two seats from election night and with it a slim one-seat majority with Act.
This brought NZ First and its eight seats into the picture, with whom National leader and Prime Minister-designate Christopher Luxon said he would work if necessary to form the next Government.
Luxon had been meeting regularly with Seymour to discuss a governing arrangement since the October 14 election, while also meeting separately with Peters for the eventuality they could be working together.
But Seymour and Peters are yet to formally meet.
Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking he would be surprised if negotiations ended with a party in a cross-bench deal, but he would not rule it out.
There had been good progress over the last week for National working with each party individually, he said. It was easier to progress conversations with each party on its own before bringing them together.
He could not give a time frame on when that would happen, but said there was “good positive intent from all leaders to move as quickly as possible”.
Peters and Seymour have had some famous run-ins in the past, and there have been major questions raised over how they might get along in any future governing arrangement alongside National.
During the campaign, Seymour said Peters was “the most untrustworthy politician” and even threatened to not sit in Cabinet with him.
Peters said he had only received a text from Seymour since the election and “thought this has gotta be fake so I didn’t answer it.” The NZ First leader added he received many other fake messages after the election.
Asked if he’d now answer Seymour’s call, Peters said: “I’ve got a plan, it’s already worked out.”
Peters refused to answer any other questions relating to the negotiations, but said he would fly to Wellington on Monday to meet with the NZ First caucus and “work out some fundamental things”.
Seymour told the Herald Peters’ comments about a meeting were news to him, although he added he didn’t want the miscommunication “sideshow” to become the main story.
“There may be some crossed wires, but I am more interested in the details.”
He said he had personally contacted Peters, along with working through his staff, but they had not received any response.
Seymour told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking he had called Peters first before texting him.
Luxon had the right to be bullish about the future Government, he said. The three parties all believed New Zealand was in trouble and had that in common.
Seymour would not be drawn on whether Peters was ultimately in the negotiations for himself rather than the country.
He would not rule out Act ending up on the cross-benches - his obligation was to those who party-voted Act, as well as the voters of Tamaki and Epsom who voted in Act MPs.
Seymour said he was happy to meet in person and that a meeting of all three parties, as suggested by Peters, was a good idea.
The leaders had been conducting their meetings with Luxon in Auckland as they all lived there, but Seymour said that could change if necessary.
Despite the miscommunication, Seymour said he felt “really positive” about the prospects of forming a Government, which he hoped to do within a week.
Seymour earlier told Newstalk ZB that his core negotiating team included himself, deputy leader Brooke Van Velden, MP Nicole McKee and party and Parliamentary staff representatives.
Other MPs were brought in, depending on the policy area.
He said the relationship with Peters had not changed, but they could work well together.
“It’s going to be difficult, but ultimately, we respect the election results, and we’ll work with people to deliver the results that people who put their trust in us got,” Seymour said.
He said they had “put a lot of work in” over the past few weeks with National.
“Once you’ve got three people or three parties talking, then it’s a question of, well, you know, how quickly can they get it together?
“No one person can decide the outcome or the timing of the negotiation, but I believe it could be done within a week, with goodwill from all sides.”
National declined to comment when contacted. Luxon is expected to go on morning media on Monday.
MP Chris Bishop told TVNZ’s Q + A he was part of National’s negotiating team alongside Luxon and deputy leader Nicola Willis.
They had been focused on “forging relationships and having discussions” and had anticipated losing at least one seat ahead of the final vote tally, he said.
Now those final results were out, those negotiations and relationship-forming processes would “step up a notch”.
Amid coalition talks, Seymour told AM he was still pushing for a referendum on the Treaty of Waitangi, despite incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stating that National does not support the move.
Seymour said New Zealand should be a country where rational debate about what the treaty’s principals mean can be had.
”Act has long said that our Treaty is something that absolutely belongs to everyone,” said Seymour.
”People deserve to have that conversation about their constitutional future. What we’re proposing is enhancing the mana of the Treaty.”
