30 Nov 2011

Officials continue work on government-forming deals

5:16 pm on 30 November 2011

High level talks are continuing to form the next government as the National Party negotiates agreements with the United Future, ACT and Maori parties.

Senior officials continued working on the deals on Wednesday as Prime Minister John Key took a day off to be with his family.

ACT's board members were due to meet on Wednesday evening, having postponed Tuesday's scheduled meeting to give them time to consider the progress of initial negotiations.

They would also discuss whether their candidate John Banks, who won the Epsom seat, will be the party leader now that Don Brash has resigned the position.

United Future says its deal with National will be based on their 2008 agreement but there will also be some new measures.

The party is expecting progress to have been made by the end of the week.

The Maori Party said its talks were continuing.