Billionaire Guy Haddleton says National and Labour should "combine forces"

Billionaire business leader Guy Haddleton has said National and Labour should "combine forces" and work together. He told RNZ's Midday Report that he was not suggesting a "grand coalition".

Haddleton proposed that the two parties agree a supply-and-confidence arrangement with each other. That is an agreement to support each other on budget bills and on confidence votes in Parliament. He also proposed that the parties agree on strategic initiatives. He said a review of MMP, the mixed-member proportional voting system, would be a significant strategic initiative for such an arrangement.

National and Labour's combined vote on the preliminary count was just under 60 percent. Haddleton said that 60 percent combined support was a mandate to govern.

He said the key to a successful arrangement would be a defined timescale rather than something in perpetuity. He cited Germany, Ireland and Denmark as countries that had tried similar arrangements. He said he was not suggesting the end of either of the two major parties.

The election also saw the Greens and ACT win record support, and the Opportunity Party enter Parliament for the first time.