With the support of the Greens, and a concession from National’s Bill English, Prime Minister Helen Clark has announced
her intention to form a new minority Government with Jim Anderton’s Progressive Coalition.
The final seat count has not altered since the last Scoop Progress report with Labour on 52 seats, the Progressive
Coalition on 2 and the Greens on 8. Between them the parties of the left have 62 seats a clear majority in the 120 seat
Parliament.
The Prime Minister was late to emerge from her Mt Albert house, and when she finally appeared at around 11.30pm she
announced that she had received a commitment of support to form a new government from the Green Co-Leader Jeanette
Fitzsimons.
Asked by ACT MP Rodney Hide whether she considered her new government to be a minority government supported by the
Greens, or a minority government supported by the Greens and United Future the Prime Minister replied that she expected
to be supported by a range of different parties.
Her comments appear to signal that she intends in coming days to come to agreements on support with both the Green Party
and the United Future Party.
The Prime Minister reserved her criticisms in her closing address for the New Zealand First Party whom she described as
seeking to divide New Zealander against New Zealander.