While politicians talk, the press gallery waits for morsels of information about what shape the next government may take. 1News political reporter Felix Desmarais takes us inside the political stakeout.
Every now and then journalists in parliament's press gallery find themselves facing a necessary evil, or rather necessary inconvenience – the stakeout.
It sounds very cloak and dagger, doesn't it? To be honest before I joined the press gallery I romanticised the stakeout, figuring it sounded very fun. It is, but it's also a lot of hyper-aware waiting around.
During the regular cycle of Parliament - that is, when there's a (non-caretaker) government and Parliament is sitting - stakeouts most often happen after a political poll, a major political scandal (think Gaurav Sharma) or if it seems like a leader is about to be given the boot. Sometimes it's all three at once.
But this time, it's because the government is in the process of forming, through coalition talks. What happens in those talks, what is agreed to and what is argued over will have real-life impacts on New Zealanders down the line. So fair play – the public wants to know about them, and journalists are there on their behalf to see what they can dig out.
Today is the 11th day since the official election result was announced, and a government has not yet been formed. If politicians scheduled regular media stand-ups each day it's likely there'd be little need for the stakeout. ACT leader David Seymour has made himself available in that way, willingly agreeing to talk to media if requested.
But for National and New Zealand First, that's not so much the case. So stakeout it is.
That means each news organisation in the press gallery needs a journalist camped out at strategic spots around Parliament. Those spots are mostly entrances and exits to buildings - Bowen House, Treasury and Parliament.
Politicians and the media get a bit crafty. Every time politicians figure out a sneaky back way in or out of a building, we figure out where it is.
I joined 1News political editor Jessica Mutch McKay and our cam op Patrice at Parliament's forecourt, and we waited at one of the Molesworth St entrances, watching for National leader Christopher Luxon to emerge from his Wellington base.
The Prime-Minister-elect said the meeting of the three leaders will happen once conversations have progressed. (Source: 1News)
Sure enough, he eventually appears - with staff and bodyguards in tow. And boom, Jess swings into the questions. Luxon emerges and answers her questions. How fulsomely you can decide, but he doesn't totally ignore her, as he could, and some politicians on occasion choose to. He even lingers for a moment to finish answering questions before going inside.
You'll notice on the news sometimes reporters will suddenly stop short before going inside a building. That's because we can film and photograph in public places and in certain places in Parliament that are approved by the Speaker, but nowhere else. The former is a legal limitation (not just on the media but on everyone) and the latter is the rules we live by as Parliament is the Speaker's domain.
Luxon would give any competitive racewalker a run (or walk?) for their money. Based on my count, he averages about a minute from Parliament's gate to the door inside. So that means Jess has to work fast - and it's not long before poor Patrice the camera operator is walking backwards, holding a very heavy camera, and nearing the building. So I leap behind her, grab the back of her shirt and guide where she goes so she doesn't stumble over something or someone. If you ever see a TV reporter doing that, now you know why.
You can see below our political producer Lillian Hanly doing the same thing for another cam op, Jess, as the media scrum grills senior National Party MP Chris Bishop outside the Reserve Bank.
The Parliament forecourt is not bad as far as stakeout locations go. It has the magnificent vista, the prestige of the 'face' of our democracy's home. It's not so fun when it's raining or too hot as there isn't a lot of cover, but it's still one of my favourites.
With Luxon in the can (Seymour had a yarn with us this morning too), now we need Winston Peters. So it's on to what we in the press gallery refer to just as "Bowen" - that is, a little three-way intersection underneath Bowen House, across from the Beehive on - you guessed it - Bowen St. This is where Parliament's underground travellator reaches the Lambton Quay side of the street.
Journalists camp out here with the hope of catching a politician on their way into Treasury, where New Zealand First is based during negotiations. While I'm there, NZ First MP and former mayor of Wellington Andy Foster passes through, though he's not keen on offering up too many nuggets of information. He does offer a cheery "morning all", however, and chooses not to walk on the travellator but on the regular old floor in between them.
To be honest, it's a subtle flex in my book. Perhaps he's trying to make sure he gets his 10,000 steps in early. Respect.
I despise this spot. I don't like how a politician can appear from any angle, there's a constant hum of the travellator and the corridor is very narrow. There's very little natural light. It's just generally a cursed spot. I don't believe in ghosts but that doesn't mean it isn't haunted.
Speaking of haunting, the next stakeout location I lurk at is outside Treasury near its main entrance on The Terrace.
This is definitely a mainstay of the recent stakeouts, as this is the prime location to get a glimpse of NZ First leader Winston Peters. I say glimpse because you can't always get a comment out of him. Mr Peters is big on manners and I suspect he's not a fan of questions flung unceremoniously at him as he steps out of a taxi. However, as he did last week, he will sometimes emerge on his own terms for a small press conference, with the proviso, sometimes, that reporters don't ask whatever he views to be foolish questions.
NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones is particularly magnanimous and fun with reporters' questions. While he might not say much with his answers, he usually offers something, whether it be a Shakespeare quote or singing a few bars of Mustang Sally.
Today on The Terrace, Wellington has turned on the kind of wind that can knock you off your feet. Here, while we wait for Peters to materialise, I catch up with some other journalists to hear how they're going on this rolling day-on-day stakeout.
It's not Stuff photographer Rob Kitchin's first rodeo.
"I'm constantly on guard, I'm just scanning people.
"You're always on edge, basically. When you see a taxi roll up you're laser focused on everything."
He estimated he's averaged about six hours staking out each day lately.
After all the vigilant waiting and watching, he said the moment the politician is spotted is an "explosive" one.
"You run to the person, you flick the cameras on, you hope everything's turned on alright. It's five seconds of chaos and then it's over.
"The other day when I saw Winston [Peters] I ran for the first time in a long, long time. [I] sprinted across the road and caught up with him, but I've not done the 50 metre dash in I don't know how long."
He said going to the bathroom was "non-existent".
"You just have to hold it in. For eating, you might get some time to get away or duck away for a coffee but generally if you duck away, something's going to happen."
He said lunchtime was the most difficult time as that's when "suits" appeared everywhere, making it more difficult to distinguish between politicians and the public. After a while, he said, it felt like you started hallucinating particular politicians, mistaking punters for them.
Another journalist, who did not wish to be named, said relationships with other reporters were quite "collegial", including buying coffee for one another and occasionally sharing intel.
From personal experience this is true, but not particularly common. Of course, hanging out and waiting lends itself to a bit of a gossip session or a catch up on what you did on the weekend. But intel is kept within teams, because exclusives cannot, by definition, be inclusive. But we're certainly happy to share snacks with one another.
It's not the most fun or most fulfilling part of political journalism for most, but there are far worse gigs out there. Sometimes you'll get a sideways look from the public but they're likely the same people who expect - and deserve - to be kept updated.
The last spot of the day is my favourite – the black and white tiles – or just "the tiles" for short. It's a beautiful space - you'll know it well from watching 1News which of course I expect you watch every night without fail. It's the spot you see politicians come through to be grilled by the media before going into the House for Question Time.
It's clean, it's covered – and just 10 metres away there's coffee at the Beehive cafe Copperfields.
We've spent the day loitering for Luxon and poised for Peters.
Winston Peters never appeared. He's out of sight, but no doubt not out of mind for Christopher Luxon.
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