Bye bye Helen

Relative newcomer and millionaire investment business banker, John Key of the centre right National Party, will form a coalition government of the unwilling, following an overnight victory, defeating 9 years of Helen Clark's Labour-led government.

Helen contested her Auckland, Mt Albert seat for the tenth time, and the fifth time as leader of her party, on three successful campaigns.

She delivered a shock announcement that almost no insiders were aware of, saying that she will step down immediately as leader of Labour. "If I couldn't lead the party to victory then it was time to go," she told her supporters at 10:33pm Saturday night.

"I believe on our watch we elevated the inclusion of all Kiwis to new levels, irrespective of ethnicity, faith, gender, gender orientation, we're all in it together," Helen Clark said.

The other big change in the make up of the new Parliament was the departure of New Zealand First's Winston Peters after 30 years in political life. His party failed to reach the 5% vote threshold to get himself or his list MPs into Parliament. He also did not retain his Tauranga seat, which he had held for 24 years.

Under New Zealand's Mixed-Member Proportional voting system, National will gain 59 seats. ACT will gain five seats, along with and United Future's Peter Dunne, to form a coalition with 65 of the 122 seats in Parliament. Labour will probably hold around 43 seats.

Clark's parting shot was that she had one fear. "I hope all that we had worked to put in place doesn't go up in flames on a bomb fire created by the right wing of politics."