By Lindy Laird
Northland is facing three years with an unprecedented three ministers in Cabinet.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has the invite from PM elect and Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, and the coalition deal all but guarantees a ministerial position for NZ First's Shane Jones.
Labour's deputy leader, Kelvin Davis, will also sit in Cabinet.
"I can't confirm what my role will be, there will be an announcement on Wednesday," he told the Northern Advocate.
He said he was humbled and privileged to represent Northlanders in Parliament, let alone be elevated to a ministerial position.
"I'll do my very best to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people of the North."
Mr Davis, Mr Peters and Mr Jones were in closed-door meetings in Wellington yesterday, underscoring their bottom lines, revealing the various proposals and other leverage points used in the three-party marriage.
In Northland, in what proved still a National stronghold when it came to general votes, the only other two politicians available to comment were National's old hand for Whangarei, Shane Reti, and new hand for Northland, Matt King.
For someone who thought his party had won on the night and had to wait a month before the MMP-fuelled ditching, Dr Reti was upbeat.
"The first thing I want to say is congratulations to the new prime minister," he said.
"These are exciting times. I'm looking forward to working with the new government and my parliamentary colleagues from Northland.
"We've always had a good relationship. Absolutely, we'll be looking forward to advancing the North but we've always worked collegially up here."
He said he was pleased to see such a strong regional Maori representation in the House of Parliament.
"Our overall voice will be quite substantial."
The coalition means Matt King, who took Northland off Mr Peters by more than 1200 votes, has missed out on being in the government.
"I am saddened for Bill English and our senior management team," Mr King said.
"I think this particular result, the tail wagging the dog, is an unintended result of MMP."
Mr King said his pending term as an Opposition backbencher would be "character-building and educational, a time to learn the ropes."
Whangarei Green Party candidate Ash Holwell was in Wellington yesterday meeting with leader James Shaw.
Mr Holwell is excited about the coalition agreement, saying, "after 30 years we can now have real democratic change."
Water rights and freshwater exports would have been high on the coalition bargaining points as they had on the campaign, he said.
Ms Ardern has offered Mr Peters the deputy prime minister role. At edition time, Mr Peters had not confirmed if he would take the job.
The prime minister-elect said there would be 16 Labour Cabinet ministers, four from NZ First, with the Green Party outside the inner circle, and eight ministers outside Cabinet; three Greens and five Labour.
Ms Ardern said the allocation of portfolios would be announced in a few days.