NZ First leader Winston Peters refused to answer 27 consecutive questions from the media when he arrived in Wellington today for presumed coalition talks.
Peters was immediately surrounded by media when he walked off his flight at Wellington Airport not long after 1pm.
"Have you spoken to Christopher Luxon yet?" an eager reporter asked pointing a microphone his way.
Peters ignored him, prompting another journo to try a softer approach, "how are you?"
Her question got the same result and it was soon apparent the veteran campaigner wasn't in the mood to talk politics.
This didn't deter the determined reporters who kept up a steady barrage of questions hoping to wear him down, or at least elicit some kind of response.
Peters seemed to show he was enjoying the moment when he briefly broke into a smile, only to quickly snap back into his poker face.
"Go on, Winny, keep up the Gold Card," a member of the public yelled at him, which drew a wave.
He finally spoke when another member of the public greeted him with a "kia ora Winston".
"Kia ora," he replied, showing he was willing to engage with some, just not the media.
In a final act, one desperate reporter asked him for a wave as Peters was whisked away in a taxi from Wellington Airport.
It was a wave that never came.
Incoming prime minister Christopher Luxon will be hoping Peters is more talkative if the special votes don't go his way when the final tally is announced on November 3.
On the plus side, at least Peters didn't take the same approach as Labour's Damien O'Connor when he faced a reporter's question at Parliament yesterday.
A question about the leadership saw Damien O'Connor unleash at a reporter. (Source: 1News)
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