New Zealand PM-elect Luxon says Nicola Willis ‘locked in’ as finance minister
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Ms Nicola Willis, the National Party's finance spokeswoman, was widely expected to become minister for finance.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WELLINGTON – New Zealand’s Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon said that Ms Nicola Willis was “locked in” to become the country’s next finance minister, at a news conference on Tuesday as talks continued with likely coalition partners.
Mr Luxon’s centre-right National Party and preferred coalition partner ACT New Zealand won a razor-thin electoral victory on Saturday, together securing 61 seats in the 121-seat Parliament.
Roughly 567,000 special votes, around 20 per cent of the total, must still be counted, and Mr Luxon has said his party was waiting for those votes to be counted while working on building relationships with both ACT and New Zealand First.
Ms Willis, National’s finance spokeswoman, was widely expected to become minister for finance, according to media reports.
“The only two people we’ve locked in is Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis,” Mr Luxon told reporters, without giving details on the rest of his Cabinet.
Ministers will not be announced until the country has a new government in place, and these roles will most likely be part of National’s negotiations.
The official result is due on Nov 3. Conservative parties have historically lost at least a seat with the final count, so Mr Luxon might require the support of New Zealand First to form the government.
New Zealand is now being governed by a transitional government run by Labour. REUTERS
