Prediction

• National take the lions share of the vote - 45%
• Labour perform better than pollsters predict - 38%
• Greens weigh in with a handy total - 8%
• The remainder of the non Maori electorate vote is dribbled away between the other parties. Progressives, ACT and United Future returned through electorate seats with minimal extra M.P.s

The Maori Party are left to decide who gets to be governing party, eventually going with Labour because of the pro-Labour tendency of their support base. Prehaps it is intimated to them that Helen Clrak will step down in favour of Shane Jones before the next election.

Long term conseuence is that National exploit anti-MMP sentiment to restore FPTP and abolish the Maori seats, effectively ending the Maori Party as a political force.