This week was meant to be a quiet end to the parliamentary year but instead a new prime minister will be sworn in and reshuffles will take place in both Labour and National before MPs slink off for the summer break.
Bill English will be sworn in by the Governor-General as prime minister today with Paula Bennett as his deputy after a special National caucus meeting to anoint the pair as National Party leader and deputy.
The pair met at Parliament yesterday for initial talks while John Key was also there with wife Bronagh to pack up the rest of his office - and probably give his successor a few handover notes.
Mr English has already said Steven Joyce will be his finance spokesman and he is expected to announce his full Cabinet before Christmas. Mr English, Ms Bennett and Mr Joyce all declined interviews yesterday.
Labour leader Andrew Little will also do a reshuffle because of the looming departures of David Shearer and David Cunliffe.
He said he expected to do his reshuffle later this week.
"It's not big. It's not starting from a blank page; it's taking the changes we know and accommodating those.''
Mr Shearer has the foreign affairs and defence portfolios, while Mr Cunliffe has portfolios including science and technology and land information.
Mr Little said he was not concerned about Mr English's reshuffle, saying Mr Key's departure did not change the issues New Zealand faced, such as housing.
Mr Shearer is expected to be formally announced as the head of the UN's mission in war-torn South Sudan tomorrow and will resign almost immediately. His job starts at the end of January.
That will spark a by-election in his Mt Albert seat unless Mr English opts for an early election, which is unlikely.
Labour's candidate is likely to be MP Jacinda Ardern, who now lives in the electorate but was initially aiming for a third tilt at winning the marginal Auckland Central seat.
She said yesterday she was yet to make up her mind. If she won Mt Albert, it would allow Labour to bring in another list MP, and Mr Little is understood to be keen to get Raymond Huo back into Parliament before the election to give Labour Chinese representation.
Labour's general secretary, Andrew Kirton, said the party would reopen nominations in the seat this week and choose a candidate by the end of January.
