Photo: RNZ
The full new National Party caucus met on Tuesday morning, with some MPs meeting each other for the first time.
Saturday's election result saw the party dramatically increase its presence in Parliament, outdoing the polls - but likely needing both NZ First and ACT to form a new government.
Leader Christopher Luxon promised to be open and transparent as prime minister, and said Tuesday's different approach to the caucus meeting - where journalists were not given access to the MPs - was not a permanent change.
"Just for today, yeah, bring them in together because many of them haven't actually met each other. They're going through that process over the course of the next few days and it's important we have time together to chat as well."
He continued to refuse to elaborate on the progress of negotiations with potential support partners.
"All I'm just saying to you is we're going to have a different approach... the approach is very simply, I'm going to use the next three weeks until the special votes are fully counted to actually progress the relationships and the arrangements with each individual party."
He pushed back when it was put to him that NZ First leader Winston Peters was the one who, in previous negotiations, had largely made use of the media - rather than the leaders of National or Labour.
"You've got a very important role to play as media and I fully respect that and I want to have a strong, positive relationship with media because I think it's a very important role in democracy. Just when I'm being asked about approach [to negotiations], it's just a different approach.
"I think you'll find that actually probably the leaders of the parties will actually want to work together and actually get through this together, and rather than do it through the media is my hope as well," Luxon said.
Some talk of the negotiations was already circulating however, with Richard Harman writing for Politik saying Peters had already been offered the role of Speaker of the House, but rejected it.
Luxon denied this, saying: "I appreciate there's lots of reckons, I appreciate there's lots of views about what could happen... I appreciate there's lots of reports and lots of articles that I've read, and lots of columns about lots of things".
"It's wrong. It's wrong."
He said he had not thought too deeply about what portfolio positions he personally might take.
"I'm very conscious that in a coalition government I want to make sure that I'm building those relationships, making sure they've got strong, stable government. I think my role will actually be making sure there's good glue, actually making sure we've got strong stable relationships and partnerships between the respective parties and also making sure that I've got an ability to support ministers in key portfolios."
The full election results will not be known until early November.
