A fight between ACT leader David Seymour and NZ First leader Winston Peters to be deputy prime minister is one of the few remaining hold-ups preventing a new government in New Zealand.
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Coalition talks led by the National party have now reached 39 days since the centre-right party won the last month's election.
National is negotiating with the libertarian ACT party and the populist New Zealand First party, with the expectation the three parties of the right will form a coalition government.
This week, National leader and incoming prime minister Chris Luxon said the parties had stitched up agreements on a shared policy program, and he had moved on to assigning ministerial portfolios among the three parties.
National, which polled 38.1 per cent, is expected to take the lion's share of the cabinet posts, with ACT, which received 8.6 per cent support, and NZ First, on 6.1 per cent, each claiming a few ministries.
The deputy prime minister position was understood as a three-way contest between National deputy leader Nicola Willis, Mr Seymour and Mr Peters.
On Wednesday, Ms Willis ruled herself out from the job, with Mr Luxon saying she was never in the race.
"Our past convention that actually the deputy prime ministership is a role that should be held by coalition leaders," he said.
National has insisted throughout only two roles were non-negotiable: Mr Luxon as prime minister and Ms Willis as finance minister.
Mr Seymour broke with Mr Luxon's insistence that talks should be held in private to insist he would be the better candidate as deputy.
"The ACT party is the second largest party in the government and therefore if there's a second role in the government that should go to the second party," he said on Tuesday.
"That would be the result of proportionality ... which is important in a democracy.
"But having said that, a negotiation's a negotiation, and you never know your luck."
Mr Peters, the 78-year-old veteran, has served as deputy prime minister twice previously, under Jim Bolger's National government and Jacinda Ardern's Labour.
He has not spoken publicly about his desire for the role, but Mr Luxon confirmed as much when he said it was "fair to say" the deputy role was one of the last remaining issues to be thrashed out.
"There's obviously been a number of options and conversations taking place and presented and discussed over the last 24 hours," he said of the deputy role.
Mr Luxon is confident all remaining matters can be cleared off quickly, with public sentiment turning against the long-running talks.
"We're in the final stages. We've got a couple of things to close out. I'm confident we can do that. But it will take as long as it takes," he said.
Mr Luxon said he would remain in Auckland to conclude negotiations then head to Wellington to announce the outcome.
Australian Associated Press
