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“I am going to do this differently.” ��

Those were the markedly optimistic words incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon used when casting his gaze forward to the post-election Government-forming period. ��

A month later, the New Zealand public is still waiting to see how things are any different. ����

Luxon made no secret of the fact he was unhappy with the way Jacinda Ardern handled coalition talks in 2017; specifically,��how elements of the negotiations were “done through the press”.����

Reporters around during those Government forming talks were perplexed by the comment, as Ardern did a remarkable job at keeping her cards close to her chest.����

As did her opponent, Bill English. ����

Small bits and pieces of information did leak out, but nothing major hit headlines before it was announced by the then-Prime Minister. ����

Doing “things differently” appears to be a reference to the role of the media during the talks. ����

As the days since election night stretched into the weeks, Luxon’s public appearances became fewer and fewer. ����

Although he was still doing his once-a-week media rounds on Monday mornings, to reporters without a morning breakfast show,��getting answers from Luxon was nigh on impossible.����

But for team Luxon, all was going according to plan. ����

He didn’t want to entertain a media circus or participate in what he referred to as “parlour games”. ��

And so, he would waltz through the airport offering waiting press generic, cookie cutter��responses such as “progress is going��well”,��while ignoring specifics. ����

That tactic may have worked��if the negotiations had wrapped up relatively��quickly. ����

But they didn’t.����

Luxon’s three-way talks have now drawn out longer than the 2017 negotiations, when Winston Peters was trying his luck with both National and Labour. ����

In the National leader’s defence, there was a three-week period of stagnation while the special votes were counted. ����

But that’s cold comfort to the growing number of Kiwis wondering: “What’s going on?”����

And into the void of information, strode Act leader David Seymour. ����

While Luxon shuffled through the airport at record��pace, Seymour stopped and talked to press. ����

He��appeared on breakfast TV and radio, and drive time shows as well; not to mention the coverage he got on the 6pm news bulletins.����

All the while, Luxon offered very little to an increasingly antsy nation. Peters was also silent, bar a few jabs at the press. ��

Meanwhile, Seymour looked like the man who knew what was going on. He looked like the man in charge. ����

After a few days of Seymour-saturated coverage this week, Luxon’s tactics changed. ����

All of a sudden, he was more than happy to stop yesterday and talk to media waiting outside the hotel where he was conducting his negotiations. ����

It was the same story this morning. ��

“We've made tremendous progress,” he told media with a smile, before heading inside with his team.

All of a sudden, he had regained control of the narrative.����

But not before Seymour had essentially a��week’s��run of free press.����

He saw an opportunity and made the most of it; firmly cementing himself��as a sensible and smart operator at the very genesis��of this Government’s term.����

And first impressions count.����

New Zealanders got a first glimpse of Minister David Seymour��and many people liked what they saw.����