A government is formed by whoever can command the confidence of a majority of MPs, not simply by whoever won the most seats. After the election, parties negotiate until one group can show it has majority support. The Governor-General then appoints that group's leader as Prime Minister, and ministers are sworn in.
A government is formed by whoever can command the confidence of a majority of MPs, not simply by whoever won the most seats. After the election, parties negotiate until one group can show it has majority support. The Governor-General then appoints that group's leader as Prime Minister, and ministers are sworn in.
Most seats does not automatically mean government.
You need the confidence of a majority of MPs.
Negotiations can take days or weeks.
The Governor-General appoints, but does not choose.
Confidence means a majority of MPs are willing to keep a government in office and vote for its budget. A party with 48 seats out of 120 can govern if enough other MPs agree to support it.
That is why the phone calls after the election matter as much as the votes during it.
Between election day and the new government being sworn in, the old government stays on as a caretaker. It keeps things running but avoids making big new decisions, because it no longer knows if it has the country's support.
The Governor-General appoints the Prime Minister but does not pick one. They wait until the parties have made it clear who has majority support, then act on that.
How long does it take?
It has taken anywhere from a few days to about six weeks under MMP.
Who runs the country meanwhile?
The previous government, in caretaker mode.