# National and Labour meet over election result

> National and Labour leaders discuss election outcome as result remains on knife edge.
- Title: National and Labour meet over election result · NZ Herald
- Summary: National and Labour leaders discuss election outcome as result remains on knife edge.
- Keywords: national, labour, election, chris hipkins, christopher luxon, mmp, vote-splitting, overhang, parliament, middlemore hospital, voting rights, NZ Herald
- Source: NZ Herald — https://nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2026-live-updates-qiulae-wong-in-talks-with-national-labour-leaders-as-result-remains-on-knife-edge/REUHVHWFGRHJZC4TJ3LSLPPZNA
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: national, labour, election, chris hipkins, christopher luxon, mmp, vote-splitting, overhang, parliament, middlemore hospital, voting rights, politics
## National and Labour leaders meet
National and Labour leaders meet to discuss bottom lines and find common ground.

> Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong has met with National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins to discuss bottom lines and find common ground
## Hipkins accuses National of manipulating system
Hipkins accused National of "manipulating the electoral system" during talks.

> Hipkinshas accused National of "manipulating the electoral system"
## Luxon dismisses allegations
Luxon called Hipkins' claims a "load of rubbish" while Simeon Brown said Labour spreads "absolute conspiracy theories".

> Luxon told the _Herald_ the allegation was a "load of rubbish", while Simeon Brown said the Labour leader’s office is spreading "absolute conspiracy theories"
## MMP review proposed
National’s Mark Mitchell endorsed reviewing MMP after election marred by vote-splitting strategies.

> National’s Mark Mitchell has endorsed a review of MMP following an election marred by vote-splitting strategies
## Labour supports MMP review
Labour’s Ginny Andersen also supported MMP review citing voting roadblocks in her electorate.

> Labour’s Ginny Andersen, who joined Mitchell on the morning panel, also supported a review and spoke of receiving complaints in her own electorate about voting roadblocks and the confusion arising from split-voting strategies
## National has overhang seats
National won 42 electorates with 29.2% party vote, creating seven overhang seats.

> With National winning 42 electorates yet just 29.2% of the party vote, preliminary results indicate the strategy was successful
## Hospital voting issues
Multiple patients at Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital weren’t given chance to vote.

> Multiple patients at Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital weren’t given the chance to vote in last week’s elections, leaving family "pissed off" and nurses "extremely concerned"
## Voting rights concerns
Health NZ confirms small number of patients described similar voting experiences.

> Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora confirmed it was aware of a "small number of patients who have described similar experiences"
## Chris Bishop leaves Parliament
Chris Bishop leaves Parliament after 12-year career ended in close defeat.

> Labour’s Ginny Andersen and National’s Mark Mitchell both see a bright future ahead for Chris Bishop, who is leaving Parliament after his 12-year career ended in a "soul-destroying" defeat to Andersen in Hutt South
## Parliament seats increase
Preliminary results show 131-seat Parliament due to overhang seats.

> On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result
## Key takeaway

National and Labour leaders met to discuss bottom lines after election result remains uncertain.