Talks to start as Key arrives

Prime Minister elect John Key arrived at Parliament today ready to get on with forming a government.

He will be meeting ACT leader Rodney Hide and United Future leader and the party's sole MP Peter Dunne this afternoon.

Mr Hide is talking tough about what he wants in order to support National -- he has said a three strikes sentencing policy, cutting government spending and dumping the emissions trading schemes will be on the table because ACT supporters wanted them. Mr Key has ruled out ACT MP Roger Douglas being a minister but Mr Hide says that issue is not dead.

Mr Key said Mr Hide would try get the best result for his party.

"There will always be people negotiating and trying to use their strength as best they can but, as I said, I am sure ACT supporters will want to see a National-led Government installed and installed reasonably quickly," he said.

"We've got the situation internationally with the financial position where I think it's important that we are at Apec if we possibly can be."

Mr Key hopes to be sworn in by Monday next week is so he could leave for Peru, where the Apec summit meeting is being held the following day.

Mr Key said he expects the Apec summit, where the leaders of all the world's major economies will meet, is going to turn into an economic summit. Mr Key said it may be possible. The Governor-General would have to agree to the move without the final special votes results on November 22.

"We've got some meetings on that today."

He was asked if he would look to the Maori Party if ACT became too difficult. Mr Key said he had a good personal relationship with Mr Hide.

"He's made it quite clear his supporters want to see a National-led Government... in the end a National-led government needs to be installed and installed reasonably quickly."

Mr Key is meeting with the Maori Party tomorrow to see if they can form a relationship also.

Today he said it felt fantastic to be arriving at Parliament ready to head a Government.

"It's good to be here, there's a lot of work to be done today. I want to get down to the business of negotiating the arrangements with the other parties as soon as we can so we can put together a stable effective government and I am quite confident we can do that quite quickly.