New Zealand election coalition talks will likely take weeks – as it happened

Thanks for following the blog tonight. The election has ended without a clear winner. Here are the top news lines from what will go down as one of New Zealand’s closest elections in many decades.

Christopher Luxon’s National party and its right-leaning coalition partners are on the brink of a wafer-thin majority that could allow it to eke out a return to power.

The left-wing bloc, led by Labour’s Chris Hipkins, fell short of a majority.

Neither Luxon or Hipkins claimed victory or conceded defeat. Both acknowledged an expected wait before a governing coalition is negotiated.

A centrist newcomer, the Opportunity party, have entered parliament, polling above the 5% threshold. They could potentially be a kingmaker in a coalition.