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The final shape of Labour leader David Shearer's new front bench will be announced this afternoon but late yesterday a question mark remained as to whether it would include defeated leadership challenger David Cunliffe.

Prime Minister John Key says the support deal with the Maori Party focuses heavily on getting results in education, housing and unemployment, particularly youth unemployment.

Developing Whanau Ora, a ministerial committee on poverty and a new focus for Te Puni Kokiri are the centrepiece of an agreement reached today between National and the Maori Party on confidence and supply.

Cabinet minister Paula Bennett has lost her Waitakere seat by 11 votes to Labour's Carmel Sepuloni after official election results were released today.

David Cunliffe's hopes of securing the Labour leadership rest on the party's six Maori MPs and newcomers to Parliament.

Labour MP Grant Robertson has announced he will run to be the deputy leader of the Labour Party and is supporting the leadership bid of David Shearer.

Labour leadership aspirant David Cunliffe has moved to clarify his position on the buyback of state assets.

National now officially has enough support to form a Government after signing deals with Act and United Future.

The Maori Party hui over a proposed confidence and supply agreement with National began last night but ministerial positions would not be discussed, Maori Party president Pem Bird told The New Zealand Herald.

Labour MP David Cunliffe is still confident he can win the party's leadership contest against David Shearer, saying he believed at least 6 to 10 MPs were either undecided or could change their minds - enough to give him the win.