New NZ government likely in early November

The news: New Zealand prime minister-in-waiting Chris Luxon says he will wait until election results are final on 3 November before confirming his coalition government.

The numbers: Election results are not final until an estimated 570,000 out-of-electorate and overseas voters are added and confirmed on 3 November. Luxon indicated he will not look to form a coalition until those final votes are returned.

The context: The next government will be led by Luxon's National party, which turfed Labour from office with a huge swing in the October 14 poll. However, the preliminary results show Luxon's National does not have a parliamentary majority with its preferred coalition partner ACT, and are likely to need the New Zealand First party in that arrangement. In the meantime, he said all three parties were engaged in talks aimed at "relationship-building".