National's Chris Bishop and Labor's Kris Faafoi exchanged friendly fire after the Greens' offer to talk to NZ First was not taken up.
"I feel a bit sorry for James Shaw and the Greens," Mr Bishop said on TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning.
Mr Faafoi quickly quipped: "Not as sorry as I feel for David Seymour", in relation to the possibility of ACT being shafted if NZ First were to work with National.
"I thought he was your mate!" Mr Bishop said.
Winston Peters said yesterday he's not aware of an approach from the Greens for a meeting, as New Zealand First continues coalition talks with National and Labour.
'I've got no idea why this question is being asked of me' - Winston Peters appears bemused by questions about not meeting Greens.
The NZ First leader says he made it 'very clear we were to speak to the National Party and the Labour Party'.
Green Party leader James Shaw says party staff made contact with NZ First "to say if they wanted to, we're available" for discussions.
One coalition scenario is a grouping of Labour, the Greens and NZ First, but Mr Shaw said he anticipated Labour would take the lead on negotiations, and that's what they're doing.
"At some point I assume that you've got to get in a room together with the people that you're going to go into coalition with," Mr Shaw told reporters.
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