Talks could pose problems for Clark

Labour leader Helen Clark is preparing for more talks with minor party leaders as she puts together her new government, and if there are going to be problems they could emerge today.

Helen Clark is expected to meet New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and United Future's Peter Dunne this afternoon.

Yesterday she held talks with the leaders of the Green Party and the Maori Party, with no apparent difficulties.

However, she now faces the potentially prickly issue of whether NZ First will back a government with the Greens playing an important role in it.

With the Greens and the Progressive Party, The PM has 57 votes in Parliament. She needs 61 for a majority.

The Maori Party has four, but it is going to consult its supporters before making any decisions about its position.

NZ First has seven, and United Future three. Helen Clark wants as many parties on her side as she can get.

Winston Peters, the NZ First leader, has promised his party will "provide stability" for a minority government but he has also said he will ensure it is not captured by "extreme" policies of the left or right.

The Greens want to implement some of their core policies in exchange for giving the PM their support, and the question now is whether Mr Peters will be prepared to go along with that.

He has said he does not want to be part of the next government, so that rules out a coalition agreement, but he could agree to abstain on confidence votes.

That would ensure the new government could not be brought down.

Mr Dunne has said his party will not back a Labour/Greens coalition, but he could be persuaded if the Greens are not part of a formal agreement.

Before she went into meetings yesterday, Helen Clark said she wanted to form a stable, durable government that would last three years.

She said all the options were on the table, ranging from formal coalition to an agreement to abstain on confidence votes.

"We go into this knowing we are dealing with honourable people and that once an agreement is struck about the way we work there can be a considerable amount of input, discussions and consultation," she said.

- NZPA