“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.