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In a post-election discussion on the Sunday programme, party leaders said it is vital for the country that they form a stable government despite the cliffhanger election result.
Labour leader Helen Clark said the country has been polarised by the election campaign and she is keen to try to bring people together again. Clark said Labour has kept more doors open and is not ruling anything in or out and the party will explore all possibilities.
She praised Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia for her great achievement in splitting from an established party, forming a new one and getting seats in the house. And Clark said it is not good for New Zealand that Maori became a political football in the election.
The Labour leader said while they wait for the final result the time can be spent in exploratory discussions. Clark said Labour has proven it is capable of putting together arrangements which will work in practice and has run an inclusive style of government. She said she hopes the foreshore and seabed issue has been laid to rest.
Don Brash said he was pretty happy with the result but agrees it will be much harder for him to organise a government. He said while National got an extra 11 electorates the special votes will be critical for the party's chances of being in government.
Brash said he cares deeply about all New Zealanders and rejects comments from Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia that he campaigned against Maori.
The National leader said political parties are not terribly tolerant of leaders who lose but he had no plan to walk out in a huff. Brash said National had some very good potential leaders but he would like to lead the country to a place which would be better for New Zealand.
Winston Peters said New Zealanders need stability and the next government must go on for three years. He believes the final outcome will be as it stands on election night or a dead heat and reiterated that New Zealand First will support the party with the most seats.
Peters said he feels the enormous responsibility of holding the balance of power and wants to ensure there is stable government.
Green Party Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the Greens are prepared to work with all groups that want to be in a Labour-led government. She said despite United Future leader Peter Dunne's statement that he won't be in government with the Greens they haven't ruled out working with Dunne.
Fitzsimons said the Greens have got the experience and expertise to make a real contribution to government. She said the party has no wish to string the coalition forming process out but it will take longer if several parties are involved.
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said her party is prepared to sit down and listen to what's on the table but singled out National as needing to change its stance before any deal could be struck between the two parties. Turia said National's behaviour over the past year has been incredibly divisive.
When asked about Labour Turia said any bad blood between her and Helen Clark was not personal and it was about politics. And she said with the Greens there is more that unites the two parties than divides them and they always work constructively.
Peter Dunne agreed that it was critical to get a government that's able to function and make progress over the next three years. He said it's too early to tell who that would be with and negotiations will depend on what happens with the special votes. The United Future leader said there is a huge challenge to everyone involved and if they fail their parties will be destroyed.
He said they need to proceed with a degree of caution over next couple of weeks. Dunne said the small parties being squeezed was influenced by a provincial (National) versus metropolitan (Labour) split which would eventually balance out.
Rodney Hide again praised the Epsom electorate as being very smart in realising that to get a centre right government they needed to vote for him. The Act Party leader believes National should have offered an alternative coalition and campaigned accordingly. Hide said National made a strategic error to target 51% to govern on their own - a big ask under the MMP electoral system.
Hide said he takes responsibility for the election result which is bitter sweet because despite his Epsom win the party lost several talented MPs.
He believes Helen Clark has got a tough job stitching together a government because of the potential number of parties outside cabinet. Hide said Act is there for the long haul and analysts made a mistake in writing the party off. He said they will do a whole lot better at next election.
