ACT leader David Seymour has revealed what he said in a text to his likely coalition partner Winston Peters that the NZ First leader mistook for a scam.
National lost two seats in the final election results on Friday meaning they will need to form a coalition agreement with both ACT and NZ First to form a government.
The three parties have been in negotiations since the preliminary election results – but it seems Peters has been difficult for Seymour to contact.
Speaking with AM on Monday the ACT leader revealed the only contact he has had with Peters was sending him a text. But unfortunately, the NZ First leader assumed it was a scam.
"I generally don't go into it but something like, 'Hi, congratulations on your election result. We should get together, David Seymour'."
"I also called first before texting so pretty standard stuff for people trying to contact each other in the 21st century. But look it sounds like he's now got the message via the media so I hope we will be sitting down this week and that will allow us to put together the government people have voted for.
"People want change and there's a lot of things we need to get on with so our priority is how do get together, get the numbers, form the government so we can start taking on the tougher issues like the government's deficit and the cost of living and the amount of crime going on because those are actually the numbers that are more important."
Seymour said he has nothing booked in to meet Peters yet but he's sure they will meet many times over the years, likely starting this week.
On Sunday Peters said he will only hold negotiation discussions with Seymour in person after mistaking the text as "fake".
He also claimed Seymour didn't identify himself in the text – however, Seymour told Bridge that he did.
"You know that I am a people person. I want to see someone in person," Peters said. "The communication came without any identification and I will explain that to him when I do see him."
Peter said he got so many fake calls before the election he assumed Seymour's also was.
"I thought this has gotta be fake so I didn't answer it."
Seymour and Peters have a contentious relationship and have publicly clashed numerous times over the years.
