Politics Blog

Chris Hipkins says a re-elected National Government will see David Seymour as finance minister.

The Labour leader responded to comments from National’s Nicola Willis, who said Hipkins would roll over to Green’s co-leader Chloe Swarbrick’s demands in any post-election negotiations.

Speaking on TVNZ1’s Breakfast, Hipkins hit back, saying Willis will be out of Parliament.

“Imagine David Seymour as a Minister of Finance because that is what we are staring down the barrel of if National gets re-elected,” he said.

“Nicola Willis is in no position to make that comment; she is not even going to be in Parliament. So David Seymour is going to get her job by default.”

Hipkins said Christopher Luxon will “have no choice but to give the [finance minister] job to David Seymour” if Willis does not make it back in.

Willis, running only on the list, faces the prospect of missing out altogether due to a potential overhang.

Stuff’s Poll of Polls has predicted there could be an overhang after the general election - which is when parties win more electorate seats than the party vote entitles them to.