I'm Glad to Be Wrong

I'm so relieved that my prediction of a National win was wrong - so far anyway. We are not yet out of the woods. National could forge a coalition yet.

Forming a Government with 61 seats and support from New Zealand First should be a cake-walk for Labour. On Election Night figures Labour could go with Jim Anderton's Progressive Party, the Greens and the Maori Party, giving a coalition with 61 seats. But there are two things in the way.

1. Helen Clark stated that the Maori Party would be "the last cab off the rank", so obviously Labour would prefer United Future (whose leader was instrumental in introducing GST) to the Maori Party.

2. Labout may not want a so-called "left-leaning" Government so may not wish to do a deal with the Greens. This was a suggestion by commentator Colin James on TV1. More comment on this next time.