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National and Act are understood to be approaching a deal but David Seymour is still seemingly yet to speak with New Zealand First’s Winston Peters as the country awaits its��next government to be formed.��

National’s Christopher Luxon and Seymour have spoken throughout the weeks following October 14 and are understood to have made good progress towards a position where the two parties could outline a deal on paper.��

However, it hasn’t had input from NZ First as Seymour and Peters haven’t met. Peters stated on Sunday he’d believed��earlier contact from Seymour was “fake”.��

Peters and the rest of the party’s caucus were in Wellington yesterday ahead of a caucus meeting today .��

Landing at Wellington airport yesterday, Peters said nothing to waiting journalists as he strode through the airport lounge - similar to what he did��a few days after election night during the initial stages of negotiation.��

Several soon-to-be MPs arrived at the party’s base at the Treasury yesterday morning but were tight-lipped on how talks were progressing.��

NZ First party president Julian Paul speaks at a party conference. Photo / Adam Pearse��

Former MP Mark Patterson was asked by media about reports of a draft agreement between National and Act, to which he said: “We haven’t seen anything yet”.��

Asked how the caucus was feeling, Patterson said: “About to find out”.��

Jenny Marcroft, also a former NZ First MP, said it was “such a privilege and an honour” to be back in Parliament.��

She wouldn’t comment on how coalition talks were going.��

Neither would soon-to-be MP Jamie Arbuckle or party president Julian Paul.��

NZ first leader Winston Peters in Wellington last month. Photo / Mark Mitchell��

It has been reported Act had attempted, unsuccessfully, to contact NZ First during the three-week period between October 14 and Friday when the final vote count was released.��

Speaking on Sunday in Pukekohe for the launch of their Port Waikato byelection campaign with candidate Casey Costello, Peters said a meeting with Seymour would happen soon, but he would not say when.��

Seymour told the��Herald��that Peters’ comments about a meeting was news to him, although he added he didn’t want the miscommunication “sideshow” to become the main story.��

“There may be some crossed wires, but I am more interested in the details.”��

He said he had personally contacted Peters, along with working through his staff, but they had not received any response.��

Seymour, meanwhile, added he didn’t feel the typically frosty relationship between the two politicians had changed, although he believed they could put that aside to form a “strong and stable” government together with National.��

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the��NZ Herald��Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for ��һ�ǿ����� since 2018, covering sport and health for the��Northern Advocate��in Whangārei before moving to the��Herald��in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.��