Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon met with media outside the Cordis Hotel in Auckland today after more coalition talks with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and ACT leader David Seymour, who phoned in to the meeting.
Luxon said he understands the wait for the incoming Government is "frustrating", but says the parties have "made some good progress" and "are down to our final issues".
"We are getting really down to the last stages," he said.
Luxon says he will meet with both parties tomorrow, but is unsure if the meetings will be combined or not.
When asked by a reporter when the coalition talks will be wrapped up, Luxon said it would be "disingenuous" to put a time stamp on the conversations.
"We need to get this wrapped up, we are making progress, it'll take as long as it takes, but it's important."
Peters said earlier that coalition talks with National and ACT have been "very good" and his party is open to more than one deal to form a government.
He said more meetings were planned today.
"We've got further meetings this afternoon, what you can read into that is exactly what I said, we're going to have a further meeting this afternoon," he said.
When asked about comments made by Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon about the possibility of three coalition deals - one between each party - Peters said NZ First nor ACT had publicly discussed it.
"There's either one deal or two deals," he told media. "There's only three of us, I'm just asking you to do the maths, there's three of us."
Peters says coalition meetings have been "very good" and his party is open to more than one deal to form a government. (Source: 1News)
However, he expressed openness to the next government being formed under two separate deals.
"We're relaxed about that, [we're] accepting, I think identity is important and we'll carry on having those discussions as well."
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