Maori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell has been appointed as a Minister after his party inked its confidence and supply deal with National this afternoon.

Prime Minister John Key signed two insurance agreements yesterday in the form of confidence and supply deals with Act and United Future.

NZ's elite SAS personnel aren't yet on standby for deployment to combat Islamic State militants - but the PM can't rule out sending them in if asked.

Prime Minister John Key won't rule out sending New Zealand's elite SAS personnel to assist US efforts to counter Islamic State militants in Iraq or even Syria.

The Act Party has signed a deal to work with National for another three years, but the agreement does not include a ministerial portfolio for new MP David Seymour.

Peter Dunne says he hopes his new deal with the National-led Government will enable him to knock some "rough edges" off National’s legislative agenda.

Prime Minister John Key is expecting to receive advice over the coming weeks on further assistance New Zealand could offer to help counter the terrorist group Isis.

Coalition deals to form the next government will be signed this week, Prime Minister John Key says.

National has farewelled departing MPs at Parliament this morning and welcomed its new faces.

National will seek to forge a closer relationship with New Zealand First this term "on a case by case basis" despite Winston Peters' determination to lead the opposition, Prime Minister John Key says.

Act's sole MP David Seymour will meet John Key at Parliament today with a wishlist for a confidence and supply agreement, including for him to become a minister.

Fashion is about self-expression, individuality, it is a way of communicating with the world around you.

Prime Minister John Key says his former adviser and National Party staffer Jason Ede was not forced out of his job in response to the Dirty Politics scandal.

It will be like the first day of school when 29 new MPs, 15 of them from the National Party, turn up to various caucus meetings at Parliament today.

In Labour's worst defeat in 92 years, the party vote in central Auckland strongholds Mt Albert and Mt Roskill turned blue.

John Key says education reform, National's Home Start housing programme and the continuation of welfare reform are the three key areas to focus on.

Mike Hosking writes: National had the best case. The best project to present. The best story to tell. The best numbers to back them.

The election success of National has weakened the bargaining power of their support parties.

John Key's achievement on Saturday is historically remarkable.

The election turned out like it did because the attack politics described in Dirty Politics work, says its author Nicky Hager.

The Herald-DigiPoll survey came closest to predicting the final election result, an analysis of the four major polls shows.

The new Parliament is a melting pot of ethnicities and religions - but one thing has stayed the same, it's a male-dominated House of Representatives.

New Zealand financial markets are expected to firm when they open today after the National Party secured the first ever outright win.

Winston Peters yesterday appeared dead-set on taking a leading role in opposition against John Key's new Government but some of his MPs won't shut the door on National.

Former minister Judith Collins is returning to Parliament but appears to have been punished by voters in Papakura, with her majority halved.

Whangarei's new MP is a high-achieving doctor who was called on by the New Zealand Embassy to help in the wake of the Boston Marathon terror bombings.

John Key yesterday began his third term as Prime Minister with a strict warning to National MPs and ministers: don't get arrogant.

This is a horrible column to write. (Gets up to make a cup of coffee. Instant coffee! De-activates Facebook page.