Media coverage of that has not been a good look for Luxon (or Peters, not that he cares), who needs to show quickly that his potential coalition partners can let bygones be bygones and have a professional relationship.
On Sunday Peters spoke to reporters for the first time since the election at the launch of his candidate’s campaign for the Port Waikato byelection, with the main takeouts his excuse for not replying to Seymour’s first text — he thought it was a “fake” — and that he would fly to Wellington on Monday to meet with his caucus and “work out some fundamental things”.
Earlier he gave a wide-ranging speech that stepped outside Luxon’s cone of silence when he promised to get rid of the Therapeutic Products Bill “by lunchtime”. He also criticised Seymour for continuing to speak to the media (which the Act leader has done regularly, without breaching the confidentiality of discussions).
On Monday Seymour said National and Act were close to a draft agreement, after several weeks of “really productive discussions”.
That probably didn’t impress Peters, whose own discussions with Luxon before Friday were centred on building a relationship in case National needed his support.
The fact is, though, that Act was always National’s preferred coalition partner and it will be easier for them to agree to a cohesive policy platform.
Another fact is that Act brings 11 seats to the table while NZ First would bring eight . . . but don’t expect that to mean greater heft for Act. In the NBR interview on Tuesday, Peters didn’t rule out walking away from negotiations if an agreement couldn’t be reached.
