“We must try to put aside our political ideologies and past differences and seek to work together to get our country moving again,” he wrote.
Peters arrived early Wednesday afternoon, striding through the airport lounge without engaging with media.
Some members of the public cheered and clapped as the 78-year-old politician walked by. Others called out to him.
“Go Winston, we love you, woohoo,” one woman cried.
“Come on Winny, keep the Gold Card,” one man said, prompting a wave from Peters.
The only words Peters spoke was to say “kia ora” to a man who’d said the same to him.
“Give those Act Party b*****ds hell,” another man said as Peters passed the baggage carousel.
He was then whisked away in a taxi without a word.
Peters continued his silence when confronted by journalists outside his party’s current base in central Wellington. The only statement he gave to the various questions was “get out of my way”.
Questions he faced included whether he’d spoken to the National leader, what Luxon might have said to him, how long he was planning to stay in Wellington, whether he’d been offered the Speaker of the House role, and when he would make his next statement. He answered none.
The NZ First caucus met in a Parliament building in an area sealed off from journalists.
Peters’ approach mirrored the one taken by Luxon, who has repeated his commitment to doing coalition negotiations “differently” by not discussing them publicly.
Indeed, Luxon barely answered a single question to waiting media after he arrived in Wellington on Monday.
Luxon said yesterday he disagreed with the “blow-by-blow” negotiations going “through the media” following past elections.
He suggested that, contrary to what the other two negotiating partners might want, he was happy to take his time and run down the clock until special votes are counted before doing a deal.
“The approach is very simple, I’m going to use the next three weeks until the special votes are fully counted to actually progress the relationships and the arrangements with each party, the way we work with them will be different,” Luxon said.
However, this was not exactly different to how prior negotiations were conducted. In 2017, Peters regularly spoke to media during negotiations, mainly because they were camped outside the lifts beneath his office, while the leaders of the other two parties did not.
Luxon did not have any media appearances on Wednesday but will front a press conference today.
Wednesday also saw the Green Party front media with what could be a record caucus of 15 MPs. They currently have 14 MPs based on preliminary results - a record equal with 2011 and 2014 - but are likely to add another after the special votes have been counted.
Speaking in front of Parliament today, neither Shaw or Davidson were able to confirm if they would stick out the full term as co-leaders.
“Still decisions to be made,” said Davidson, who entered Parliament in 2015 and became female co-leader in 2018.
Shaw, who has long hinted at leading the party “safely out the other side” of government, said the timeline for that now depended on the definition of “safe”.
He did note that co-leaders were elected every year, with the party’s next AGM in the middle of next year.
Shaw confirmed there had been no formal approach from National since the election, not that it was expected, and said any potential memorandum of understanding, as they did in 2008 to 2011, would take some time after a government was formed.
Asked about their strategy for being in Opposition after six years in Government arrangements, Shaw said they had previously spent 20 years in that position.
Davidson did indicate they would not sit by quietly and see that work undone.
“There is going to be community-led resistance and movement that the Greens will absolutely amplify.”
Michael Neilson is a political reporter based at Parliament in Wellington. He joined the Herald in 2018 and has covered social issues, the environment and Māori affairs.
