With more than 90 percent of the vote counted in the New Zealand general election, the final result was still up in the air last night, but the lead governing coalition party National has been left bruised, losing some of its most senior and experienced MPs.

On current results the right bloc — National, ACT and New Zealand First — have the most seats and would be in a position to form a government.

However, National’s leadership would look very different with the loss of senior list-only National MPs such as outgoing Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Speaker Gerry Brownlee.

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Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has conceded defeat in Hutt South and also misses out on a return to Parliament.

National’s current coalition partners, ACT and New Zealand First both picked up support while the Greens had their strongest parliamentary showing in its history.

It is the third biggest party with 13.3 percent.

A new party, Opportunity, also had a strong showing — and is sitting on six percent.

Locked in tight battle
In terms of the party vote, National and Labour remain locked in a tight battle with only about 300 votes between them.

National was on 29.3 percent and Labour 29.2 percent.

Many of the results will hang on the estimated 700,000 special votes which are still to be counted.

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins arrived at the Upper Hutt Cossie Club in his electorate to chants of “Chippy! Chippy! Chippy!” — his popular moniker.

“Tonight New Zealand has spoken. It may take us a little bit longer to figure out what exactly it is that you’ve said,” he joked.

“Every vote matters and every vote must now be counted.”

He thanked those who had put their trust in the Labour Party and given them their votes this campaign.

“As things stand tonight it’s clear that we’re not going to know the exact shape of our next government for a little while longer yet.

“But there are some things that are clear from tonight results; our next Parliament is going to require all of us to compromise, to work together and to find common ground.”

He said the people had spoken and it was now politicians’ responsibility to make things work.

‘Things on knife edge’
With the coalition looking like retaining a majority thanks to National’s four-seat overhang on current numbers, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said it was still too early to call.

“Things are on a knife’s edge,” she said.

“I think that anybody who’s watching the results live right now and refreshing their browser will know that that is chopping and changing with every other minutes that passes,” she told reporters at the Greens HQ in Auckland.

“Right now, anybody who is trying to declare the tea leaves is kind of getting a bit too ahead of themselves.”

The vote count after reaching 90 percent:

National – 29.3 percent
Labour – 29.1 percent
Greens – 13.3 percent
ACT – 11 percent
NZ First – 9.8 percent
Opportunity – 5.9 percent
Te Pāti Māori – 0.6 percent

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