Prime Minister John Key has offered his congratulations to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard after her Labor Party retained power today by the slimmest of margins."We look forward to working with her," Mr Key told reporters just after arri
Prime Minister John Key has offered his congratulations to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard after her Labor Party retained power today by the slimmest of margins.
"We look forward to working with her," Mr Key told reporters just after arriving in Christchurch.
"We have already established a relationship with her in the short time she was prime minister before the Australian election.
"We are looking forward to working with her government and re-establishing those very strong transtTasman relations."
Ms Gillard's party holds 76 seats in Parliament against 74 held by Tony Abbott's Conservative Coalition after two of three independents decided to go with Labor.
"Obviously I pass on our commiserations to Tony Abbott, it was a very hard-fought campaign," Mr Key said.
"As a politician I know what it's like to be in a tough fight and sometimes it doesn't go your way.
"This is the tightest of margins really, so you always feel a certain degree of sympathy for the person who loses out."
