National deputy Leader Paula Bennett and comedian Tom Sainsbury in the Gay Express magazine. Photo / Supplied by Paula Bennett, Twitter
It was summer love for some and busting barnacles for others – one even had to shave their cat.
While many Kiwis love nothing more than getting off-the-grid over summer, many MPs spend the Christmas break tweeting and posting up a storm online.
They like to let their followers know what they're up to – to show their more personal side.
None more so, it seems, than National deputy leader Paula Bennett.
Whether at the tennis in Auckland, or at home dressing her family in matching Christmas outfits, Bennett has had a busy summer break – especially over the last few weeks.
Draped in a royal purple dress with a matching cape to go, she donned the cover of Gay Express magazine next to an unlikely partner.
"Hi sweeties!" the headline reads, underneath a picture of Bennett and comedian Tom Sainsbury – the man who made a name for himself doing a parody videos of the National MP.
"It's me, Paula Bennett," the subheadline goes on to say. This was Sainsbury's catchphrase on his many Bennett-parodying videos.
On Twitter, Bennett called the photoshoot the "weirdest" she had ever done – "Hello 1986", she said.
This one the weirdest photo shoot I have ever done! Hello 1986 pic.twitter.com/FEo0dUd2ik
— Paula Bennett (@paulabennettmp) January 13, 2020
Unfortunately, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's tens of thousands of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram followers were not treated to quite the same amount of personal content.
She spent her holiday in Australia but posted nothing about her trip on any of her social media platforms.
She did, however, cop criticism from Australian television host Steven Price, who told his viewers: "She should be in her own country and spend money in her own place".
National Leader Simon Bridges was slightly more active, posting about the Mary Berry chocolate log he made with his kids over Christmas.
"Full disclosure: I forgot the cocoa powder," he admitted on Twitter.
He and his family also took a Pacific cruise – he posted a photo with his young daughter in Fiji just after New Year's.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Simon Bridges (@simonjbridges) on
Surprisingly, it was New Zealand First leader – and Deputy Prime Minister – Winston Peters, who has been a bit of a dark horse on social media, who ended up delivering the best goods to his almost 40,000 Twitter followers.
"Getting rid of the barnacles on the boat...with Beau – the serious quality controller looking on!" he playfully wrote, alongside a photo of him, his boat and his faithful chocolate lab, the aforementioned Beau.
After the post got some media traction, the veteran MP posted another photo of Beau glancing at a phone displaying a story that had been written about Peters' light-hearted post.
"Beau seems to have found a very interesting article online..."
But it was not smiles and puppy dogs for all the MPs over the break.
Getting rid of the barnacles on the boat...with Beau - the serious quality controller looking on! pic.twitter.com/jBogvfnwQF
— Winston Peters (@winstonpeters) January 12, 2020
Poor Simeon Brown – a youthful-looking National MP – was given a good ribbing by one Facebook user.
"Best wishes to all students receiving their NCEA results today. I hope all that hard work paid off for you!" he said yesterday.
The top comment on the post: "You received your results yet Simeon?"
Ouch.
While Brown was getting roasted on Facebook, a few MPs were across the ditch watching the Black Caps getting roasted by Australia in the Cricket.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson – also the Minister of Sport – was in his element.
It's no secret that the Wellington Central MP loves his cricket and his Twitter feed, documenting his time at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, is testament to his passion.
"This was tough," he admitted on Twitter after the game was well and truly lost, adding that New Zealand was outplayed in "every facet".
But he paid tribute to the Black Caps, name-checking Neil Wagner and Tom Blundell for their efforts.
National's Chris Bishop was also at the MCG; he was clearly not pleased with the result either.
"Very depressing end to a very depressing tour by NZ in Aus," he tweeted.
And it was not just cricket that MPs were keen spectators at this summer. A number were courtside at the ASB Classic in Auckland last week.
National's Judith Collins was clearly having a ball. She posted a number of photos of champion Serena Williams in action; Collins is clearly a fan.
More lessons from Serena Williams at the ASB Classic .., a lesson from me and a lesson from Holly
Posted by Judith Collins on Thursday, 9 January 2020
Bennett was there too, alongside National's Coromandel MP, Scott Simpson. The pair posted a picture where they were about to tuck into a tennis-ball shaped, edible desert.
For the most part, Green Party MPs spent the summer sharing climate change articles and updating their followers on the work the party has done in 2019.
But, two days before Christmas, the Greenies let their hair down a little and posted a cute 40-second clip of some of their best video outtakes of the year.
The clip includes Chlöe Swarbrick weeding through what appears to be a cannabis field, Marama Davidson getting distracted mid-sentence by a dog and a singing, and swearing, James Shaw.
Blooper reelWhat an incredible year. So much has happened - and not all of it to plan. 😃
Posted by James Shaw on Sunday, 22 December 2019
But for some, the break was a good opportunity to catch up with old friends going through tough times.
Labour's Willie Jackson posted a photo on Facebook of him sitting with mental health advocate Mike King on his hospital bed after a motorbike accident.
King broke nine ribs, his scapula and collarbone while also puncturing his lung, according to Jackson's post.
"Mike has been close to me for a couple of decades now and I'm so proud of the work he does in our communities."
Meanwhile, National MP Dan Bidois proposed to his girlfriend, Courtney Simpson, while the pair were in New York – a city he said is "very much" Simpson's second home.
She said yes.
Keeping with the theme of touching posts, Speaker Trevor Mallard and one of his baby grandchildren came within touching distance of a deer before Christmas.
Earlier this week I asked the woman of my dreams to marry me, in a city that is very much her second home. I’m absolutely stoked that Courtney Simpson said....yes! 💍💙🇳🇿
Posted by Dan Bidois MP on Thursday, 9 January 2020
"Amazing stare down: dear v deer," he said on Twitter.
But Mallard was not the only one to plaster social media with their tales of close encounters of the furry kind.
National's Nikki Kaye posted a photo on Instagram of her "fur baby" – her cat Charlie – who had to be almost completely shaved after coming home covered in "what we think is plaster from a building site".
The photo of poor Charlie speaks for itself.
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One issue seemed harder to agree on than most - how big the crowd was.