We’re watching the NZ Election results with interest. It seems New Zealand is torn between the choice of a consumerist National Party and a politically-correct Labour Party. Neither of the leaders of the two major parties is what I would call ‘people savvy’. Helen Clark does have the benefit of two terms of experience in leadership and is less prone to the gaffes to which Don Brash is prone. With Mixed Member Proportional Voting though the power to form a government will rest in the ability to work with the minority parties.

The results are being updated every two minutes at www.stuff.co.nz. Earlier tonight it looked as though National had 53 seats and Labour 46. Now, with 93 % of the polls in Labour has 50, National 49, New Zealand First 7, Green Party 6, Maori Party 4, United Future New Zealand 3, Act New Zealand 2, and Jim Anderton Progressive 1. The Maori Party have clearly made some progress, taking four electorate seats. Winston Peters may well miss out on Tauranga, by a small margin, but is likely to stay in Parliament as NZ First has managed over 5 percent of the NZ vote.