New Zealand Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon will not attend the Pacific Islands Forum on Rarotonga, while his foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee will be accompanied by outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni at the forum.

Luxon this week confirmed that he will not be attending the forum as his priority is to form a government following the release of final election results.

Luxon told media that he thinks it's a “really important forum” and that it presents a “huge opportunity to build our relationships with world leaders there”.

“There are a number of issues there and we have great relationships with partner countries in the Pacific Islands that we need to continue to deepen and build our relationships with.”

Luxon said that he “would love to go to the forum” but that he is “beholden to the system”.

“New Zealanders have voted for an MMP system, they deliver a result on election night, it takes three weeks to capture all the votes, and then we have to have coalition conversations, negotiations and finalisations of our arrangements.

“We’ll be working incredibly hard and fast as we can to make sure we got a strong, stable government. That will be my priority, but I’d love to go to APEC for sure.”

Cook Islands News this week asked the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) on who will represent the country at the Pacific Islands Forum to be held next week in Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

“The New Zealand Government will be represented at the Pacific Island’s Forum. The exact representatives will depend on when the incoming Government is formed,” a spokesperson for MFAT said on Tuesday.

“In the event the new Government has not formed by the time of the Forum, the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Carmel Sepuloni, will represent New Zealand.  She will be accompanied by a member nominated by the Leader of the Opposition.”

Following the release of final results yesterday, Luxon’s National no longer has the numbers to govern alone with the ACT Party, and will need Winston Peters’ NZ First party to form a majority.

• Al Williams/TVNZ