Pictures: Hollow & Co
It’s a romance that started with an innocent Twitter follow but really developed when Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls captured Jacinta Gulasekharam’s attention by asking the prime minister an important question.
“Jacinta had started a campaign to combat period poverty, based on research from her company Dignity NZ,” explains Jason, 31. “I was working at the New Zealand Herald then, and my boss was wondering if we should cover the fact that Dignity and a few others involved with the campaign were presenting a petition to Parliament. Much to my boss’ surprise, I put my hand up and said, ‘I’ll do it. Pick me!’”
What happened next was meant to be. That day, the media jostled to ask questions to Dame Jacinda Ardern. The then-PM turned to him and said, “Jason, I believe you had a question about period poverty,” and threw her full support behind the campaign.
“It was an instant headline, and Jacinta and I eventually became a couple,” says Jason.
Four years later, the loving couple tied the knot at Orlando Country Club in Palmerston North.
“I’ve always wanted to get married,” says Jacinta, 29. “I’m very much a romantic. I always drew pictures of how my dress would look, but I never knew who the groom would be.”
The Wellington couple planned a very traditional wedding, with Jacinta in a white princess gown and Jason in a tuxedo. The journalist laughs, “I did want to experiment with an ivory-coloured dinner jacket. But, Jacinta gently asked me if I would reconsider.”
The pair was joined by 95 friends and family at their nuptials, which incorporated Sri Lankan traditions to acknowledge Jacinta’s heritage and featured two tables of guests from the Press Gallery.
Jason says, “We were worried that if there was some breaking news, no one would come. Fortunately nothing major happened on the day.”
Jason’s wedding proposal was as traditional as the big day. “I did the whole nine yards,” he recalls. “I asked both the parents if it would be OK and they said yes. Then we went to Poppies [winery] in Martinborough and it was all a surprise.
“I hired a photographer to pretend she was just taking photos for the vineyard and come up to ask us for a picture. She did that and I said, ‘That sounds great!’ But then I walked ahead of Jacinta as we were heading off for the picture and she saw the outline of the ring box in my back pocket, so it backfired a bit!”
The doting duo both have busy careers, with Jason’s particularly involving a lot of travel and long hours.
He says, “I love my job. In what other career would I get into the White House or the Great Hall of the People in China? But the thing that makes life worth living is having somebody to do it with. I come out of these amazing things filled with adrenaline and the first thing I want to do is tell my now-wife about it.”
Due to work commitments, Jason has missed two relationship anniversaries. However, he has thought of a unique way to apologise.
“A couple of years ago, we’d booked to go to Amisfield in Queenstown. We couldn’t go because I had to be somewhere else with the prime minister,” he tells. “I told Jacinda Ardern I’d missed my anniversary and she felt so devastated. So, she sent a little video saying, ‘Hi, Jacinta – it’s me, Jacinda,’ and apologised for taking me away.”
More recently, he once again had to cancel a trip away with Jacinta due to work. When Jason told Christopher Luxon, the prime minister grabbed his phone to film another video for Jacinta.
The journalist says, “She has a bunch of videos of prime ministers apologising to her, which is something, but I do recognise that it’s hard for her.”
Jacinta knew what she was getting into when she started dating Jason, she says. “I know it’s the reality of the job, but it also makes him so incredible. I’m quite independent, so if I know those dates, I can organise plenty of things to do while he’s away.”
The couple, who will honeymoon in Sri Lanka next April, appreciate being able to use each other as sounding boards for their careers and are always honest with each other.
“We’ve always been like that,” says Jacinta. “We’re very forthcoming and we always have a debrief, which is just so special.”
Jason continues, “I wouldn’t be able to do this job if I didn’t have somebody so supportive. It’s not just the support in terms of asking, ‘It’s OK to go do this?’ But also I can ask, ‘Did I make an ass of myself?’ and sometimes the answer is yes!”
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