National MP Erica Stanford says she has received "no updates" on the formation of the incoming Government, but couldn't help but make a joking dig at Winston Peters' texting habits while facing questions about the ongoing negotiations.
The incoming National Party lost two seats in the final election results last Friday, meaning they need to form a coalition agreement with both ACT and Peters' party New Zealand First to govern.
However, impatience is growing as the three parties continue their negotiations, talks which have been in progress since the preliminary results were delivered last month.
Speaking to AM's Ryan Bridge on Friday morning, East Coast Bays MP Stanford doubled down that progress has been made, but noted there was "only so much" the party could do ahead of the special votes being counted.
"I'm not involved in that top-tier negotiation, but I know there was a lot of relationship-building going on, a lot of meetings - where we could. The final results were only out on Friday so there was only so much we could do. There are three parties involved in this and I know Christopher Luxon wants to get this right... he wants to get things delivered, he's very impatient," she said.
"So don't hold your breath for this weekend," Bridge summarised. "It will be at least next week."
"I haven't had any updates. I did get a nice text message yesterday from Winston [Peters] actually, giving me a big update, but it turned out just to be a prank," Stanford deadpanned, before making an obvious wink to signal the joke.
"Actually?" Bridge said, laughing, with Stanford reiterating: "No."
Earlier this week ACT leader David Seymour revealed the only contact he has had with his likely coalition partner Peters was a text he'd sent, asking for the two to meet in person. Peters, however, mistook the text as a "fake".
"I generally don't go into it, but something like, 'Hi, congratulations on your election result. We should get together, David Seymour'," the ACT MP said, recounting the contents of his text to AM on Monday.
"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."
On Sunday, after mistaking the text as a "fake", Peters himself said he will only hold negotiation discussions with Seymour in person. He also claimed the ACT leader didn't identify himself in the message - which Seymour denies.
"The communication came without any identification, and I will explain that to him when I do see him," Peters said at the time, noting he had been inundated with fake calls and messages ahead of the election.
"I thought this has got to be fake, so I didn't answer it."
Elsewhere in her interview, Stanford said she also hasn't heard anything about ministerial posts being assigned - which Bridge branded as "frustrating" - but reiterated that she's "sure it's not going to take that long".
"The ones I really feel for are the staff... at the end of the election they essentially lose their jobs and are waiting for a Government to be formed... they're having a tough time in 'limbo land'. It's much worse for them than it is for us."
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