And so here we are; Monday morning, with a brand-new Prime Minister and leader of The Labour Party: Chris Hipkins. 

I guess that now we have two men leading the two main political parties with the same Christian names, they’ll forever now be known by their surnames in order to prevent confusion. Hipkins and Luxon. At least they have differing hair dos. 

Perhaps that confusion will become even more confounded if Prime Minister Hipkins moves his views further to the centre of right and away from the precarious cliff of the left now that he has the control system in his hands?  

There may well be ongoing confusion if the amendments to any fixed and firm Labour Party policies are made by Prime Minister Hipkins – that may well replicate those of the not so right National Party. 

How do you now feel about The Labour Party and the next general election – just months away? 

Is this now like a once sound building that existed quite peacefully until successive storms began to strip away the paint and putty?  

Now that building is in need of substantial repairs.  

The big question really is – could it be too late to save that tired old building or is there time to reverse the damage and return it to its former glory in time for the big day? 

I’m fascinated to see what Prime Minister Hipkins brings to the political show in order to win back any of the support lost when Three Waters, the public broadcasting merger and other poorly thought-out concepts became award winning policy.  

Clearly the shiny paint job on those ideas did not last long at all. Are any of their ideas reversible now? Or is crash boxing the Labour Party engine into reverse on those policies simply going to push them off the political cliff and into oblivion in 2023? 

• Jason Walls on Chris Hipkins stepping into the role of Prime Minister
• 'No-one understands what that means': Chris Hipkins on co-governance
• National's Chris Luxon on Chris Hipkins being appointed as Prime Minister