Jacinda Ardern says she is "not concerned" that National will get the first meeting with Winston Peters in the all important coalition negotiations tomorrow, saying what matters is "meetings are being had".
Speaking from a ceremony in Wellington celebrating the Black Ferns' recent triumph at the Women's Rugby World Cup, the Labour leader addressed the question of why National had the first meeting with Mr Peters.
"Look one meeting has to happen before the other, I'm not particularly concerned about the order," Ms Ardern told media gathered in Civic Square.
"The importance of course is meetings are being had and we're preparing to form a stable coalition government."
One reporter then asked if Ms Ardern thought Labour might have the advantage by meeting the New Zealand First leader in the afternoon, a time when it's more appropriate to have a whiskey, something that Mr Peters is known to have enjoyed in the past.
The Labour leader said the negotiations with Mr Peters would be "formal and taken incredibly seriously".
Ms Ardern simply stated "no" as she shared a laugh with the media pack.
"Look I have every expectation that these negotiations will be formal and taken incredibly seriously by both sides," Ms Ardern said.
Mr Peters has been tight-lipped with the media since the September 23 election in providing any detail which major party New Zealand First might side with in forming a coalition government.
The only detail Mr Peters has given is setting a deadline of next Thursday, October 12, for a coalition government to be formed.
Mr Peters has been consistent that serious coalition negotiations cannot begin before all the 380,000 special votes from the election are counted.
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