We walked through the gardens to get to the cafe. He enjoys a spot of gardening. "Gardener, house builder, renaissance man."
Parker's sense of humour is a bit like Twizel in summer - understated, dry and if you blink you miss it. He makes a joke and when asked if he was trying to be funny, says no. "I'm the boring one."
He is now trying to shed that image, but says he built it up for a good reason. "As the finance guy you have to take on a somewhat conservative persona to convince people you're going to be careful with the cheque book." He wants to show people there is more to him.
Look out. David Parker is about to break out.
It is not a surprise to learn he was a Cub and a Boy Scout. But he insists he is not completely a goody two shoes.
He starts to lay out the Sins of Parker to prove it. He trawls back through his failures - his marriage ended in divorce some years ago, some of his start-up businesses failed, there was the allegation over company returns for which he temporarily stood down but was cleared.
His personal life was one of the reasons he withdrew from contesting the leadership back in 2011. His three children were younger and his relationship with Barbara Ward in its fledgling stages. They met on Great Barrier Island and a friendship turned into more. But he wasn't ready for it to be probed. Now both he and Ward are. He thinks people need to know you if they are to like and trust you.
He thinks trust is fundamental for getting into Government. He lists it as a reason Key is so popular.
Parker entered Parliament in 2002, the same year as Key. Possibly more has rubbed off on Parker from watching Key in those 12 years than he thought.
He is talking about Labour's need to present a "more ambitious, optimistic face." At one point he uses the word "aspirational" and then checks himself. "That's not even the word, that's a John Key word almost."
The lapse was momentary. Within minutes he's back in Labour lingo, talking about returning to Labour's egalitarian past "where everyone gets a fair go". He moves on to talk about the middle class before arresting himself again "or middle New Zealand, if you don't like class language".
Some were surprised when Parker conceded his precious policies, such as capital gains and the retirement age, needed to be looked at again. He has been described as stubborn, but rejects that. "I am resolute. I can stick to a task or sell something that's not initially popular if I think it's the right thing to do. But you need an overlay of pragmatism."
He showed a streak of pragmatism when he made it clear Cunliffe no longer had his confidence after Cunliffe's handling of the election loss. He does not regret that, saying the aim was "a better outcome for the Labour Party".
He bears Cunliffe no ill will and is not among those who believes he should leave altogether. He takes Cunliffe at his word that he has given up all ambition to lead again. "But you can't expect any politician to say never say never."
Little known fact: was a Cub and a Boy Scout.
