The release of the National Party list on Sunday indicated a deal was in the wind in Mr Dunne's Ohariu electorate and help would be on its way for Mr Seymour, although Mr Key said he would be voting ''two ticks National'' in Epsom, where he lives.
While there will be criticism of Mr Key lining up coalition candidates before the election, voters will at least know, and hopefully understand, their voting options.
National will encourage its supporters to give their electorate vote to the Act and United Future candidates in Epsom and Ohariu, while seeking to maximise the strongest party vote for National across the country in all seats.
Mr Key has not ruled out dealing with the Conservatives if the party gets into Parliament with 5% of the party vote, but removing East Coast MP Murray McCully from the ballot paper was not an option.
National is even prepared to discuss working with New Zealand First if the party is returned to Parliament. Everything is on the table.
The question now is where to for Labour?
Green co-leader Russel Norman posted on social media yesterday: ''This election is a clear choice between Greens #smartgreeneconomics and Nats Pollution Economy'', avoiding the obvious question of needing Labour to poll sufficiently well to be able to get into government.
Mr Cunliffe has previously ruled out announcing deals before the election result is decided and yesterday accused Mr Key of treating New Zealanders with contempt.
Act and United had no electoral mandate and would return to Parliament only through ''blatant electoral manipulation'', he said.
However, that is not strictly correct. No-one can enforce an electoral deal and voters in Ohariu and Epsom will make their own decisions.
Mr Cunliffe ruled out going into the election with a ''Labour-Green'' campaign.
This decision was presumably because he knows he may have to dump the Greens to get NZ First leader Winston Peters on board, if NZ First decides to work with Labour and Mr Peters refuses to work with the Greens in a Labour-led government.
The Greens have nowhere else to go and will support Labour on the cross benches, as the party has done before.
There is no way National can provide support for its other coalition party, the Maori Party, as on present polling, leader Te Ururoa Flavell, or one of his candidates, will have to win an electorate for the party to have any chance of remaining in Parliament.
Internet Mana is unlikely to support any other party but Labour.
Labour election hoardings barely mention ''Party vote Labour'', giving the most exposure to the candidate, leaving supporters confused about their options.
Mr Cunliffe says National considers MMP a plaything and the deals will be greeted with a growing sense of unease over the lack of integrity.
Just voting for a Labour candidate will not change the government. Mr Cunliffe would have been wise to give some thought on using the MMP system, and all of its flaws, to Labour's advantage rather than leaving it all to Mr Key.
