Under the influence

In this extract from his book The Drinking Game, GUYON ESPINER explores the relationship politicians have with the alcohol industry.

- GUYON ESPINER

It was obvious to all of us in the press gallery that John Key was leadership material when he arrived at Parliament in 2002. National had just suffered its worst-ever election defeat, with Bill English crashing the party to just 21% of the vote, as Labour, with 41%, cruised to a second term. Key's intelligence, communication skills and easygoing style marked him out, and after Don Brash narrowly lost the 2005 election, the former merchant banker and stock market trader was the obvious replacement.

He was less than two years into the leader's job when the 2008 election rolled around, but the tide was going out on Labour and Key was odds-on to win. Relationship-building was one his main strengths, and as the election neared, Key spied an opportunity to get to know two of the major players in political journalism: the political editors of the two main television channels. During my time as political editor at TVNZ, my chief rival, as political editor at TV3, was also my close friend, Duncan Garner.

Regardless of who is in the job, the TV political editors hold a lot of sway. The audiences for the 6pm news remain strong and, as television magnifies both success and failure, politicians are highly sensitive to how they are portrayed on the medium. Clark and Key, the prime ministers in office when I was political editor between 2006 and 2011, would phone or text me several times a week, trying to bend my ear on the issues of the day. Clark used the phone, but Key decided some face time would be more effective. A couple of months out from the 2008 election, he arranged to meet Garner and me for a drink at Wellington's Southern Cross bar.