'We're kind of ready to go' - James Shaw

The Green party says it is ready to go as speculation and pressure mounts ahead of an expected announcement detailing the next government.

Green party leader James Shaw - speaking to Checkpoint with John Campbell - said they were in a holding pattern and the current plan was to have a teleconference with party delegates later tonight.

"We've had a series of evenings made available for us to make a conference call with our delegates.

"So look if it doesn't happen tonight ... that's been our position all along.

"We're just holding."

He said he was not going to talk about the content of the negotiations and the emerging agreements.

"Again I can't really comment on the agreements between other political parties but we are kind of ready to go with ours if a need arises.

"I've said this a number of times over the course of the last week. If you look at other governments ... it's actually quite normal but in New Zealand's history it's not, we're fairly new to this. I think it is evolving but I'm pretty relaxed about the timeframe."

Asked about potentially working with Labour and New Zealand First, he said that the election showed the majority of the electorate voted for change.

He said he had not talked to Mr Peters.

"In a multi-party government the obligation is on parties to look for the areas that you've got in common rather than to look for the areas where you're further apart.

"And so what I would say is that any government has to represent those areas of commonality and I felt there were sufficient ones there to make it work," Mr Shaw said.

RNZ political editor talks to Checkpoint:

There has been speculation ahead of any announcement, but little has been confirmed, RNZ political editor Jane Patterson said:

• New Zealand First staffers have been seen setting things up at the Beehive theatrette which has been booked out for the day and this is where it's expected any announcement will be made.
• A report from the NBR said that New Zealand First was asking for four cabinet positions and one outside, but that the National Party was not willing to go that far.
• "The point of any deal was always going to be who was going to offer the better deal, not just policy, but in terms of positions at the table or those ministerial positions," Patterson told Checkpoint.
• "We really just don't know where those negotiations are at or whether Mr Peters has finally made a decision or whether there is still back and forth between the parties," she said.
• A Newshub report said Mr Peters had been seen twice in the Labour Parliament buildings, but RNZ has not been able to confirm that.
• There have also been reports that the Green Party are holding a meeting tonight in response to new information, but RNZ's political editor said they had a standard booking for a meeting at 7pm every night and it was understood that it had not been cancelled.
• The National Party has briefed their caucus on what Mr English said were the broad parameters of their deal. Mr English has said he would not have to go back to the caucus if further concessions were given to New Zealand First through the day. "I think we can take from that that the National Party ratification process is complete," said Patterson.