2 Dec 2011

Talks to form Govt likely to be settled at weekend

12:04 pm on 2 December 2011

Negotiations to form the next Government are likely to be settled by the end of this weekend.

The National Party won 60 seats at the election last Saturday and needs one more vote to govern.

Prime Minister John Key has been in talks with United Future, ACT and the Maori Party this week as they discuss support agreements.

ACT MP John Banks says he expects to have all of the loose ends tidied up by the end of work on Friday and the deal signed off by the party's board on Saturday.

United Future leader Peter Dunne is set to have his agreement ready to go by Sunday.

The agreements with ACT and United Future give National the numbers it needs to form a Government.

The Maori Party will be hitting the road from Sunday to Thursday to hold a series of hui with its members as it decides what kind of agreement it should strike with National.