NZ Election 2023 live – as it happened

Kia ora koutou, good evening and welcome to The Spinoff live blog as we kick off our coverage of the political TV event of the year – Election Night 2023. I’m Tara and I’ll be watching every glorious moment of tonight’s television coverage, until either the final results roll in or I run out of snacks. I’m reporting live from the biggest political party of the night, aka the party for one in my lounge in Ōtepoti Dunedin. The vibe so far? Excellent.

The election results are oozing from the pores of democracy. Toast the franchise with our election night drinking game. It works with Raro, kombucha or something stronger.

Great question. The chosen venues for each political party can suggest a lot about their plans for the evening. Helpfully, Sam Brooks has assessed the venues for Labour, National, Greens, Act and NZ First (Te Pāti Māori is holding electorate parties instead) in this handy round-up.

Fun fact: There are three parties who’ll each be having rather big nights tonight, all within yelling distance.

Good evening from National Party HQ, where in true The Spinoff style we were told we were too late for a seat at the big boys media table. I’ve pulled up an extra seat and am staring face-to-face with Newstalk ZB, job interview style.

Here at Shed 10 there are plenty of blue balloons, blue lights and dainty little table toppers. We’ll start to see the keen first supporters drift in soon, but we’ve been told not to expect leader Christopher Luxon until much later in the night – potentially around 10.30pm.

Until then, we’ll be keeping you up to date as MPs arrive, I track down a wine and see if any canapes are on offer.

People are gathering at the Act Party celebration at Maritime Room on the Viaduct. There’s been some interesting decisions with decor – a photo of David Seymour has been stylised as Ken from Barbie, and there is a photo booth with wigs and accessories for supporters to enjoy. There’s a pink and yellow balloon arch, and minions in white shirts have just finished setting up big banners with the Act logo.

So far, honourable mentions go to the pink tasselled jacket and the low-backed pink sequinned dress I’ve spotted. I’ll keep you posted on other notable outfits.

Keegan Langeveld, leader of young NZ First and number 20 on the list, is here for his first election night at The Duke. He was pleased with his appearance in Youth Wings. “I know the episode went down well with Winston,” he told me. Unfortunately despite the array of kaimoana – mullet mousse, crayfish risotto and fresh oysters – Langeveld has gone hungry as he doesn’t eat seafood.

They’ve rolled out the sausage rolls early at Labour Party HQ at the Lower Hutt Town Hall.

The room is lit up with red and the party faithful have started to mill about, but it’s a much smaller venue than the party had at Auckland Town Hall in 2020. There isn’t a balloon in sight.

The space is packed with seats, meaning there isn’t much room for mingling. Some people are sitting in mostly-empty rows quietly watching the Newshub coverage on screen, while others snack on sausage rolls in the aisles.

We’ve been told to expect Chris Hipkins around 9pm.

Unlike National HQ, The Spinoff has graciously been granted a seat at the media table, but we have been relegated to the corner awkwardly in front of a speaker and underneath a Newshub camera – so apologies if the back of my dome pops up on screen at some point tonight.

“Did that cost anything?” I asked a fellow reporter proudly holding a bottle of Lemmy Lemonade.

“$6.50. It was $6.50 for a lemonade.”

Yup, it’s a cash bar here, but it’s well stocked with bottles of champagne and a various assortment of other nice-looking beverages that I probably won’t pay for.

I’ve just heard someone loudly proclaim that it’s “$10 for a Heineken… nobody’s going to get pissed at the National party”.

NZ First’s election party is bathed in late afternoon sun and will take some beating as election party venue of the the year. No sign of leader Winston Peters, but his deputy Shane Jones is holding court up at The Duke hotel in Russell. He just took the stage to tell the crowd, “I can assure you it’s not going to be as bleak as 2023,” before a karakia.

The pub is closed to the public but a crowd of around 200 have gathered, feasting on seafood and with two bars. Holly Howard, NZ First’s party secretary, told the room dinner would be served at 7:30 with the band on at 8:30. TVNZ’s coverage is on the big screen, but despite the early numbers implying that they won’t be needed, there’s little change to the mood in the room.

Kia ora from The Green Party election party on Auckland’s Viaduct. I’m looking out to a view of the Waitematā Harbour that looks so serene, you’d be forgiven for forgetting it’s election night.

There’s no balloons or streamers necessary at Lula Inn (tonight’s venue), which was practically made to host a Green party election event – already, there are green pillows, lush indoor plants and walls of plastic foliage. While the space might be better known to Aucklanders as a boozy bottomless brunch spot, tonight it’s filled with party members, volunteers and candidates – all in high spirits on the back of recent polling which could see them bring a record number of MPs into parliament. Nibbles are aplenty, with pizzas, fries and grazing boards – all, of course,  vegan or vegetarian. So far I’ve spotted Ricardo Mendez March, Dr. Lawrence Xu-Nan, Steve Abel and Darleen Tana who is wearing an especially fantastic floral printed dress with a silver cape.

Someone at the back of the room yelled “no!” and a slight quiet fell over the room at Labour HQ as everyone turned turned to work out what the reaction was about.

At the bottom of the Newshub screen on stage: The initial vote count for Wellington Central, which show Green candidate Tamatha Paul on 49% and Labour’s Ibrahim Omer way behind on 24%.

Patrick Gower said that the election could be a “blue-nami” when looking through electorate seats on Newshub’s election night coverage. “When the blue-nami is on, anything could happen”.

Chicken, pork, stuffing and veges are on the menu and reggae is blasting at Te Pāti Māori Hauraki-Waikato candidate Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke’s election night party. Just a stones throw from Rangiriri paa, the venue for tonight’s event is a special one. This waahi tapu was the site of the first major battle of the Waikato War.

The Maritime Room is so full it’s almost hard to move around. Very long queues for the drinks, but several plates of canapes floating around, including sushi, carrots, prawns and hummus. Yum.

I’ve been trying to observe the photo booth with the David-Seymour-as-Ken sign, but the only two people using it were being followed by some news cameras. That said, I’ve poked around in the box of objects you can pose with, and it includes a cut out of Brooke Van Velden’s head on a big popsicle stick, a watergun and a caption saying “world’s OK-est employee”. Hopefully that doesn’t describe any of Act’s potential new MPs, employees of the public?

Fashion update: pink tights and a pink leather jacket (on the same person!).

It only took 20 minutes before we got a Barbie reference, which is 20 minutes too long on any election night. TVNZ’s Katie Bradford crossed live from the Act party headquarters, standing in front of a terrifyingly large billboard featuring David Seymour as Ken. Bradford reported there were “lots of sequins and sparkles” at the Act celebrations, despite the recent drop in David Seymour’s “vibe”. “Come and get a selfie in front of the Ken poster,” Katie invited the nation, as John Campbell chortled back in the studio, having earlier told Jack Tame he looked “as hot as an oven”. We’re off and we’re cooking with gas. 

Some of National’s most senior MPs won’t be here in Auckland.

Nicola Willis, the party’s deputy, has just popped up on screen from the party’s Wellington HQ to a rousing round of applause from the crowd here at Shed 10.

Meanwhile, another round of applause as the results flashed up on screen showing National ahead in the Labour stronghold of Mount Roskill. If that flips, it almost certainly will signify a lot more seats flipping blue around the country. Mount Roskill is a bit like Ilam was for National until 2020 – for it to go blue would be massive. National also holds a very slim lead in Mount Albert, another Labour party stronghold.

Here in Auckland HQ, I’ve spotted National’s president Sylvia Wood (you’ll probably spot her on 1News in a moment too) but so far I haven’t seen any candidates or MPs.

Incredible scenes from the snazzy new Newshub set, where the expert panel is being haunted by politicians looming above them like the time Big Save Lily turned into a giant to promote her giant sale?! Everything is fine.

The room at The Green Party HQ has just erupted with two consecutive rounds of cheers and applause as it’s announced that both incumbent Wellington Central candidate Tamatha Paul and Auckland central candidate Chloe Swarbrick are in the lead with 18% of the vote counted so far.

I’m going to track Darleen Tana down for a fit pic so you can all see this snazzy look. Be back soon.

David Wilson sits at #9 on the NZ First list – and if the current numbers hold he’ll be the first to miss out on a spot in parliament. “I’m sitting on a knife’s edge,” he tells me. The number he needs? 6.9%. That’s what he thinks will get him into parliament. He worked on the provincial growth fund, and when asked why he joined the party he simply says “their economics”.

Reporter Baz McDonald is standing outside Chris Hipkins’ house with an important snack update. He’s eaten some sausage rolls – “big” was the verdict – and bought his own (corn?!) chips to have chippies with Chippy. Early results have National with 41% of the vote. “Lots of people you work with are having a dreadful night,” John Campbell cheerily tells Kris Faafoi. There are neither sausage rolls or corn chips in the TVNZ studio. 

I’ve just talked to Robbie, a dad from Kumeu, and his son at the Act celebration. Both have been putting up signs every weekend for the last two weeks, and had to spend yesterday taking them down. Robbie is beaming, saying that he’s loved the campaign and is feeling great, and his son, whose name I didn’t catch (it’s incredibly busy, sorry!) said he’s enjoyed the drilling.

I’ve also chatted to Cameron Luxton, Bay of Plenty candidate for Act and 11 on the list, which means he could just get in on the current results. He’s grinning and drinking just water, for now.

There’s been heaps of cheering as Newshub has just switched to an update from Brooke van Velden’s event in Tamaki, where she’s in the lead.

I don’t know what happened but there was just a deafening cheer of “up the Lux” here at Shed 10.

Given how the Warriors’ campaign ended this year – i.e coming really close and then losing at the last hurdle – I’d be wary about using any formation of “Up the…” But hey, early results are pointing up, up, up for the Nats.

Amanda Luxon delivered food to the journalists reporting from outside her Remuera home: small pies with tomato sauce and a stack of pizzas. Unfortunately, she didn’t know what flavours the pizzas were as “actually I didn’t order them.”

In an interview between Newshub’s Isobel Ewing and ACT party candidate Andrew Hoggard at the Act party’s party at the Maritime Room, one photobombing teenager captured the mood of the nation around this election cycle.

Tautuko you, teenager at the Act party.

A mood of cautious confidence is brewing in Rangiriri. Te Pāti Māori friends, whānau and volunteers here erupted into a raucous round of applause when Jack Tame announced that the party could be in store for five seats in parliament. Early results in Hauraki-Waikato show Maipi-Clarke holding a slim early lead over Nanaia Mahuta – who has held the seat since 1996.“We’re going to have some ups, and we’re going to have some more ups,” said tonight’s MC in response to the early results.

A fashion update from the Act celebration and the men attending: if there’s a shortage of pink collared shirts in Auckland tomorrow, this is why.

Over on Three, Samantha Hayes has had enough of her colleagues using the word “blue-nami” to describe National’s lead. “It sounds too much like ‘poonami’,” she implored, mouthing the word “poo” because election night is not the time for potty talk.  Paddy Gower wasn’t having any of it. “It IS a poonami if you’re from Labour,” he piped up off-screen.

We’re watching the Whakaata Māori coverage tonight in Rangiriri and when Dr Lara Greaves – politics lecturer at Victoria University – was asked for her whakaaro on the results so far she simply said, “I’m just surprised by this election.” Me too whaea!

NZ First continues to impress with its kai. Following the oysters and mullet mousse, there’s crayfish, snapper, rib-eye, hāngi pork belly and, for the vegetarians, some brocollini and potatoes. Also high marks to the DJ who has played a strong set, with Ne-Yo, Natalie Imbruglia and currently Michael McDonald’s ‘I Keep Forgetting’, a perfect dinner jam.

The room here at Shed 10 has filled up substantially in the last half hour. A lot of whoops, cheers and shouts of “up the Lux” every time the results flash up on screen.

Melissa Lee has found a friend in the form of fellow MP Mark Mitchell, who appears to be the second National candidate in the room so far.

Questions circulating that I’ve picked up include: What does Chris Hipkins do if Labour’s results stay as low as they are now? And what does this mean for Winston Peters, given he may not be required to prop up a right-bloc government?

There’s also a particular excitement from those in attendance around some of the seats that National is on track to pick up: Mount Albert, Mount Roskill are the obvious ones, but also Wairarapa, where Labour’s Kieran McAnulty is trailing National’s Mike Butterick.

I was surprised nobody reacted to a Briscoes ad that just played courtesy of TV Three over the loud speakers.

Meanwhile, I did some more important journalism as I lurked near the bar sculling some complimentary still water. I have deduced it is $12 for a glass of chardonnay – or about half of my weekly tax cut under a Christopher Luxon government.

It’s all go on Three. “Take a look at my big biscuit,” Ryan Bridge said, pulling up a fancy graphic that was definitely not edible. “The National Party will be doing woop-woops,” Paula Bennett said. Are we still talking about poonami’s? Hard to know.

Shout out to the TVNZ graphics department. You never let me down.

Bruce Carley, a 2020 Act candidate, tells me that he is the Act store’s biggest customer. He has an Act jacket, Act dog tags hanging around his neck, an Act badge, Act tee-shirt and, most interestingly, a crocheted Act-themed figurine in his own likeness poking out of his pocket; one was made for each of the 2020 candidates, apparently. Carley says that he is hoping that Act’s results improve as the night continues.

The room is filling with cheers every time the TV checks in on Tamaki, where Brooke van Velden is leading over Simon O’Connor. David Seymour is poised to arrive around 9pm, and the pink carpet (it’s basically impossible to write an update about this event without mentioning the colour) has already been rolled out.

It’s thirsty work at the Green Party party tonight with an ebullient atmosphere and rounds upon rounds of drinks making their way across the bar. One bartender tells me they’ve noticed a subtle beverage trend thus far: “frequent Heinekens”. And their colleague agrees, “More beer and less spirits”.

Why? Naomi, a Green Party supporter sipping a towering glass of beer tells me, “everyone’s nervous and turning to the drink – we just don’t want National to win cos they’re horrific”. What will they be switching their drinks to if the results take a surprisingly positive turn?  “Tequila shots,” another supporter Avigail tells me. “Yeah, or fancy cocktails,” says Naomi.

Currently playing on tonight’s Green Party playlist: They Don’t Know by Savage and Aaradhna.

Lower Hutt Town Hall is nearing capacity on the ground level, but there aren’t many MPs in sight just yet.

Greg O’Connor was making the media rounds early. Ginny Andersen is chatting to supporters but isn’t speaking to media yet. Ayesha Verrall just arrived, looking somber.

Unlike National, Labour is running an open bar and the crowd is absolutely taking advantage – I’ve seen several punters wandering around with entire bottles of red wine.

Te Pāti Māori is currently dominating in the Māori seats, leading in six out of seven right now. For all the results as they roll in, head on over to The Spinoff’s live feed.

It didn’t take long for the Māori Party’s Hauraki-Waikato event to turn into a singalong. A mix of waiata and English songs have got the crowd here grooving. “We’re just here jam,” said one of two beautiful singers.

You know what every election night needs? A laser Kiwi pooing out politicians. Three is giving us an incredible spectacle tonight, and their latest trick is to unleash Laser Kiwi, a computer graphic that is activated whenever Samantha Hayes or Ryan Bridge press a giant orange button. Press the button to make a Kiwi appear, which then pops out an egg. But wait, there’s more, because Laser Kiwi unleashes its laser eyes to hatch the said egg, revealing – as you would expect – a new MP. Congratulations to all involved.

National’s Mark Mitchell says the early results are “heading in the right direction” for his party – but there’s still a long way to go.

Speaking to The Spinoff from the party’s election night event at Shed 10, Mitchell, who is National’s police spokesperson, said the results so far “reflect what we’ve been feeling on the ground during the campaign”.

If the results don’t change too much, National’s on track for a better than expected night. Mitchell said he was always “puzzled” by poll results showing National only a few points ahead of Labour. “I’ve done over 50 public meetings all around the country… and the feeling on the ground hasn’t necessarily reflected what the polls have been saying,” he said.

At this point, National’s leading in a number of Labour stronghold electorates. Mitchell said this was “very surprising” but he felt it was “indicative of the time and energy that’s gone into the campaign”.

He didn’t have any advice for Labour leader Chris Hipkins, but said he’ll be “sitting there figuring out what his next steps are”.

On what is looking to be a strong night for Te Pāti Māori, Meka Whaitiri said, “clearly our people have indicated we no longer need another party to speak on our behalf,” on RNZ’s election coverage. 

“I am just so excited with out movement… during the campaign were the smallest party with the least in our coffers… but you know we’ve got hearts.”

Whaitiri said that Te Pāti Māori “went into this election with a clear kaupapa and with an unapologetic voice for the people we represent across the country.”

When asked about her former party, she said, “Labour need to do a bit more work that they currently have done to bring a left bloc to the top”.

Staff writer Charlotte Muru-Lanning is at Lula Inn with the Green Party party; I’m literally upstairs at the Act Party party. We took (blurry, dark) photos of each other from the balcony to prove it!

Both capital-P Parties are currently tracking to get more MPs than their 2020 result, when Act had 10 MPs and Green had eight.

Incidentally, while wandering along the balcony looking for Charlotte, I walked past a second room, not open to the public, with some people hunched over laptops and a screen with some graphs being projected onto it. Most tantalising of all, but too small for me to see: a wifi password, which hasn’t been given out to journalists! Let’s hope I don’t run out of data, and wish the presumed Act number crunchers well.

I just turned around when someone said “holy fuck” right behind me. It turned out to be Youth Wings star/Act candidate (#28 on the list) Ollie Murphy, who has been intensely involved with this year’s Act campaign. He’d just looked at the latest numbers in Tāmaki, where Brooke van Velden is leading by more than 2500 votes currently. Even the most faithful Act supporters seem surprised by the size of her lead.

The mood is building in the room here at National HQ as whispers spread about when Christopher Luxon might make his appearance.

According to National’s Mark Mitchell, the party leader will be waiting until the results have firmed up and it becomes absolutely apparent what the seat allocation is looking like.

In 2020 a punter at National’s election night party described it to me as a “funeral”, so I asked a couple of attendees what word they would use to describe tonight. “Outstanding,” said one, while another said “great vibe” (which is two words).

Next season is definitely their season.

Earlier in the evening, I mentioned Green Party candidate Darleen Tana’s eye-catching outfit – I finally managed to track her down to take a picture. At number 13 on the list, she’d just make it into parliament based on the current vote count. She’s wearing a vintage dress and a custom-made overcoat by Māori fashion designer Jeanine Clarkin.

Chlöe Swarbrick is talking to Green Party supporters and media at the Lula Inn. The Act party attendees who are paying attention are booing her in a half-hearted sort of way.

A pink boat is approaching the marina and punters are speculating whether it is Act related. “Is it him,” people wonder – but it looks like an unrelated party.

There’s a growing ensemble of media near the entrance to National’s election night event as speculation mounts about who may arrive next.

A small collection of MPs are now in the room, primarily from safe blue seats (Melissa Lee, who arrived first, excluded). I’ve just spotted Chris Penk and Simon Watts, while Paul Goldsmith (who is expectedly behind in Epsom) arrived earlier.

While a number of MPs like Nicola Willis are in the capital, we haven’t seen nor heard from the likes of Simon O’Connor (behind in Tāmaki), Erica Stanford, Tama Potaka or Simeon Brown. We’re also anticipating the arrival of former prime minister John Key, who will likely be treated as a king.

Brooke van Velden currently has a comfortable lead in the Tāmaki electorate, which has been a stronghold of the National Party since Robert Muldoon won it in the 1960s. In the excitement, she has taken off the ultra-pink jacket she wore throughout election season.

The results are coming in thick and fast on TVNZ1, and the team are feeling hot and prickly. “You’re all over this like a rash!” a buoyant John Campbell told Jack Tame. “What kind of rash?” Jack asked, slightly alarmed. “A good one,” John decided, “the kind of rash you want”. Then Jessica Mutch McKay suggested she didn’t need to be there, which is probably a good move if everyone is infectious, but John was on a roll as he discussed the turn away from Labour. “The middle finger’s been shown all over the shop,” he announced.

I’ve just spoken to Carlos Cheung’s campaign manager. On early numbers, Cheung is tracking to become the first ever National MP for Mount Roskill, the seat currently held by Labour’s Michael Wood.

Cheung’s campaign manager told The Spinoff it was too early to call the race, but cited a strong on-the-ground campaign which he called “the biggest” ever seen by National in Mount Roskill. “Volunteers… that’s how you win campaigns,” he said.

Mount Roskill and Mount Albert remain two of the most fascinating and shocking races so far tonight – both Labour strongholds and both tilting blue at this early stage of the night.

We’ll have more from Cheung himself a little later – he’s spoken to The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire.

We just had biggest reaction of the night from a pretty subdued crowd at Labour HQ: A roaring chorus of boos as Chris Bishop appears on the big screen TV for an interview.

The only real cheering I’ve heard from the crowd so far was celebrating a vote count update that put Chris Hipkins well ahead in Remutaka.

Chants of “Rima” followed by a procession of flag-bearing supporters meant the arrival of National’s Rima Nakhle, the candidate for Takanini and currently holding a strong lead over Labour’s Anae Neru Leavasa.

National’s candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat, Hinurewa te Hau, says she’s “proud to be Māori” and says tonight’s results (so far) are a “proud moment for the Māori Party”.

On early numbers, Labour’s tracking to lose a number of the Māori seats to Te Pāti Māori. While te Hau has no shot of winning Tāmaki Makaurau, a big ask in the first place, she was pleased with the results trickling in so far.

And on the overall result for National? “It’s pretty amazing.”

Here is a van outside Chris Hipkins’ house. “Is he on the hoof?” Samantha Hayes asked. So far, there are no signs of either Hipkins or hooves.

There has been a major shift in the catering situation at Labour HQ. They’ve taken away the sausage rolls and brought out dessert. Possibly a sign the night is almost wrapping up?

Party secretary Rob Salmond just stepped up on stage for the first time tonight with an important update about Chris Hipkins: “He is getting changed”.

We’re told Hipkins will be heading to the party soon. He lives about a 15 minute drive away from the Lower Hutt Town Hall.

Laser Kiwi strikes again.

The food is out at National HQ and it’s mainly cheese toasties and chips. No complaints from this hungry journalist.

The cheese assortment left out on most of the tables has been absolutely demolished, but I managed to smear the remains of a wedge of brie onto some crusty bread. Bon apétit.

We are three hours into the party at Labour HQ and we’ve barley seen any MPs or candidates. A handful have ducked in and out but it seems they’ve all left the room.

Ayesha Verrall, Ginny Andersen, and Grant Robertson have each popped in briefly but seem to be hanging out somewhere away from the crown. Greg O’Connor is the lone exception, he’s been hanging around the crowd since the get-go.

Speaking of Greg O’Connor, he just jumped to a 939 vote lead in Ōhāriu and received a round of cheers from the crowd. The jubilation didn’t last long, quickly replaced with bitter boos for Sir John Key and even louder boos for David Seymour.

To a full Maritime room of supporters in central Auckland, Act Leader David Seymour said, “it is a future of change, a future of real change, and a future where once again New Zealand is the little country that can because each person can make that change in their own lives”.

He also congratulated his “neighbours” in the Tāmaki electorate for their “excellent choice” saying that he has known Brook van Velden for over ten years.

Following a stirring rendition of I ngā mokai kiri e, Whakaata Māori called Hauraki-Waikato for 21-year-old Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. A chorus of celebratory che-hoos broke through the misty Rangiriri air after Whakaata Māori made the call. “Change is coming!” yelled one proud attendee.

“You have my full support,” said former electorate MP Nanaia Mahuta over a heartfelt phone call with Maipi-Clarke. Mahuta warned that, given the blue wave, Maipi-Clarke’s work won’t be easy, but it is nonetheless vital for Māori across the motu.

Maipi-Clarke and her supporters are now heading over to mihi to Kiingi Tūheitia.

In what could be the launch of his run for prime minister, Max Key has arrived at National HQ. He was joined by a man named John.

There was a round of applause and some cheers as Chris Hipkins appeared on the screen at National Party HQ to concede the election.

There was then a round of shushing as people wanted to hear what Hipkins actually said. After Hipkins said he called Luxon to admit defeat, the room shook as people cheered and clapped.

We’re expecting to hear from Christopher Luxon soon.

Chris Hipkins has conceded the race to Christopher Luxon.

Hipkins has emerged on stage at Labour HQ to a resounding chant of “chippy, chippy, chippy”.

He praised the volunteers in the crowd for their role supporting  biggest ground game the Labour Party has ever run, before congratulating Christopher Luxon on National’s almost-certain victory.

“Earlier this evening I called Christopher Luxon to congratulate him on the National Party’ results,” he says.

While it is MMP and the exact numbers are still unknown, Hipkins conceded: “Labour is not in a position to form a government”.

Looking ahead, Hipkins said the the government would act in a caretaker capacity, and prepare for a new role in opposition.

“The Labour party will take some time to reflect and refresh. We have a new and important role in opposition to hold gov tot account and fight for those who stand to lose from their proposed cuts. I can promise we will keep fighting for working people because that is our history, and our future.”

“When the tide comes in big, it goes out big. But the Labour Party is still here, we’re not going away, and we will get up again like we have many times before.”

Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw have just finished speaking to the jam-packed room of supporters, volunteers and candidates at their election night party. The pair celebrated what looks to be a historic result for the party – with three of their candidates on track to win their electorates. Chloe Swarbrick, who has the highest votes in the race for Auckland Central, is the first Green MP to hold an electorate seat for more than one term.

Davidson made a nod to Te Pāti Māori too, who are on track to win six of seven Māori electorate seats. “Their success tonight is well-earned,” said Davidson who offered advice to the party around managing a larger caucus. “We look forward to continuing our mahi tahi with you.”

While the message was hopeful, there was a definite sense of bittersweet when it came to the overall result for the left. “We will need to be more staunch than we ever had before,” said Davidson. “This campaign built a movement and the movement doesn’t end tonight.”

Update from me: Someone has moved my seat and former National MP Maurice Williamson just dumped a couple of empty wine glasses at what was previously my desk.

I’m now sitting on the floor.

A crowd is gathering around the door of Shed 10 ahead of the impending arrival of Christopher Luxon. The crowd here at National HQ has just watched Chris Hipkins’ concession speech, which was broadcast on multiple screens.

Chris Hipkins ended his speech with the biggest bombshell of the night, hard launching a new partner on national TV.

As he concluded his speech, he began to tear up as he thanked his parents, then added a special thank you for “someone most of you don’t know, my partner Toni”.

[A Labour party staffer has confirmed Toni is spelled with an i, though would not reveal any further details.]

Hipkins has been separated from his wife jade Marie since 2022, and has never publicly mentioned a partner. Even the Labour Party faithful in the room, many of whom are parliamentary staffers, looked bewildered.

Google searches for “toni chris hipkins” are already spiking. Journalists across the country are scrambling to find Toni. We will not rest!

Christopher Luxon has left his Remuera home and is on his way to the National party election night HQ in downtown Auckland at Shed 10. Based on results so far, National and Act would gain 62 seats. We can expect a speech from Luxon soon.

Luxon arrived at National Party headquarters at Shed 10 in Auckland and faced questions from journalists as he walked in. “I’m feeling great,” he said. “It’s been a great day and a great result, I thought it was going to be great, we had great support across the country, it’s just great to see.” Wait until someone tells him about Linda the Laser Kiwi! That really is great. 

The party is truly over for Labour. “It really is Sadville,” TVNZ reporter Benedict Collins told John Campbell, crossing live from the Labour party headquarters where the lights are on and nobody is home. Behind Collins, a lone cleaner swept up the last of the Labour Party hopes and dreams. “I even saw a sausage roll on the floor,” Collins admitted quietly.

Three wind up the evening by contemplating how life is going to change for the Luxons. “They’ve got an eighth house they can live in now,” Samantha Hayes said, while over on TVNZ, John Campbell made a speech about the power of democracy. “I hope we wake up in the morning and get along with each other, because if we don’t, where does that leave us?” Well John, it leaves us with Laser Kiwi and a double yolker, and Paddy Gower channelling the Backstreet Boys: “Winston’s back, alright!”