Maori Party on board - Key

ONE NEWS: Prime Minister designate John Key is just days away from forming a new National-led government, and the Maori Party looks likely to be part of it. 
It has now considering policy concessions, and possible ministerial roles in a National-led government.

The party's leaders met with Key at parliament on Tuesday morning.
They say while they have to consult with colleagues and supporters first, it's possible a decision on what kind of support role they will play could be made as early as Sunday.
That would fit with National's plan to go to the Governor General with its plans for a multi-party government on Monday or Tuesday and to swear in ministers before John Key flies out to Apec in Peru on Thursday.

"A preference would be that if there was to be three partners with National, for all three partners to be sworn in as part of the government on that particular day," says Key.

The Maori Party is describing the relationship they are looking for with National as "mana-enhancing".

"It's like treaty relationship but without making any presumptions about who's a treaty partner in this instance. But it's eyeball to eyeball," says Pita Sharples, Maori Party co-leader.

Key will also meet with the Act leader Rodney Hide and United Future leader Peter Dunne on Tuesday afternoon.

The incoming prime minister has already secured the votes he needs for a majority in parliament.

The Act Party on Monday pledged support on confidence and supply, adding its five votes to National's 59 for a total of 64 in the 122-member parliament.

National could rule with that alone but Key wants his government to be as broad-based as possible and is bringing in Dunne and the Maori Party, which won five seats in the election.

With those two signed up, Key would have an overwhelming 70 votes in parliament against the combined opposition forces of 52 held by Labour, the Greens and Jim Anderton.

National is not going to form a coalition government with Act. Hide will be given a ministerial position but it will be outside cabinet.

Dunne will also be given a portfolio and will be a minister outside cabinet.

Those arrangements are the same as Labour worked out with Winston Peters and Dunne after the 2005 election, and they allow the minor parties latitude to criticise the government.

Key was expected to offer  the Maori Party co-leaders the same sort of deal. Sharples has said he wants a ministerial role but Turia might not because she has said she will retire from politics at the next election.

Hide said before Monday's meeting his party wanted the emissions trading scheme scrapped and much tougher law and order legislation put through Parliament. Those issues are still being negotiated.

The crucial element of the support agreements Key is working on is that the minor parties will vote with National on confidence and supply.

Confidence votes demonstrate a government's ability to prove that parliament has confidence in it, and apply to budget legislation.

Supply votes are routine and authorise the Treasury to release money for the public service. If a supply vote was lost, the public service would cease functioning and the government would have to resign.

If it lost a confidence vote it would also have to resign, because it would not have been able to pass essential legislation like the budget.

Key wants to form his government as quickly as possible so he can start working on ways to deal with the deteriorating economic situation and attend the Apec meeting.

Caucus cheers

Meanwhile, there were cheers and applause as National's MPs gathered together at parliament pfor the first time since Saturday's election victory.

Among the new team of 59 MPs, were 16 new faces including the new MP for Auckland Central,28-year-old Nicki Kaye, Tauranga's Simon Bridges and new list MP Kanwal Bakshi.

The biggest applause was saved for John Key's entrance into the room.

He says with a caucus of 59 MPs, it's a large group and it's a privilege to be the leader.

When Key entered parliament in 2002, National had just come off its worst election result and had just 27 MPs.