Winston Peters - Frown Affairs Minister

Pictured after yesterday's swearing-in ceremony are (from left) Winston Peters, Helen Clark, Dame Silvia Cartwright and Peter Dunne. Marty Melville / Getty Images

He was determined not to be photographed with all the Government ministers and when he got his own photo opportunity it appeared he was determined not to smile.

And Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters - the country's new and most important diplomat - was also not smiling at the swearing-in ceremony for ministers at Government House yesterday.

This was despite the coaxing of photographers and despite the presence of Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Helen Clark and her "other Peter", United leader Peter Dunne - who all smiled broadly.

It was hard to tell if it was the presence of the watching media that soured Mr Peters' mood.

He had minutes earlier lambasted them for their coverage of his party's role in post-election negotiations when asked to comment about the ceremony. It involved his usual diatribe of insults.

"That's all you people have bothered to do - pervert the trust and facts behind these negotiations for the last month." And so on.

Perhaps it was just being in the same room as so many other Labour Cabinet ministers with whom he is "NOT" in a coalition that did it.