Winston Peters holds the power. Photo/File
It seems the only person left grinning after the election is Winston Peters.
Typically, the only time a grumpy 72-year-old gets this much attention is when it's time to rewrite their will after a Lotto win, but thanks to the voters of New Zealand, Winston Peters has again found himself
the centre of attention.
The results can be read in two different ways, and the reading no doubt reflects which side of fence you're on. National picked up 46 per cent of the vote, but it has lost two of the four parties that formed its previous governing coalition. This was due to United Future's Peter Dunne deciding not to run again due to his perceived "mood for change", along with the voters rejecting the Maori Party at the polling booth.
On the other side of the fence, Labour and Green picked up 42 per cent, with the possibility of picking up another couple per cent once the special votes are counted. NZ First, sitting on the fence, picked up 8 per cent.
In my view, the results show that the voters of New Zealand want a change of government. They showed they're ready for change by giving the parties which formed the opposition over the past nine years more votes than the parties that led the government over the past nine years.
