In with the new

English takes the reins

Last week’s push by some ambitious backbenchers for "generational change" is likely to see promotions.

It is the end of an era, with John Key leaving the ninth floor of the Beehive after eight years and handing the keys of office to his deputy Bill English.

English and his deputy Paula Bennett will be elected unopposed at a National caucus meeting starting at 11am today.

The new prime minister is expected to outline his next steps for National at a media conference at Parliament.

English and Bennett will then go to Government House midafternoon for their formal swearing in as prime minister and deputy.

English, Key and Bennett were at Parliament yesterday clearing out their offices and preparing a strategy for today.

Key is set to take over the office in Parliament Buildings known as ‘‘the departure lounge’’, once occupied by former prime ministers Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark.

English, who has already confirmed Steven Joyce as his finance minister, is expected soon to announce other key Cabinet portfolios.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges, who unsuccessful sought the deputy’s prime minister job, is favourite to take Joyce’s economic development role.

Bridges conceded to Bennett on Saturday when it became clear that he did not have the numbers for the role after 23 National MPs publicly declared for former state house mum Bennett and only nine for himself.

He said he may have had a third of the 59 caucus votes but he could not get a majority.

Soon to be the first Maori woman deputy, Bennett said it had been ‘‘quite a six days’’ since the shock resignation of John Key

‘‘When I was a 17-year-old solo mum holding a baby, I never thought I would be here, let alone deputy prime minister. I bring all of who I am to the job.’’

English’s main rival for the leadership, Jonathan Coleman, is also tipped for a promotion and may eventually take the foreign affairs role when Murray McCully leaves politics.

Last week’s push by some ambitious backbenchers for ‘‘generational change’’ is likely to see some promotions to Cabinet and the party will also elect its whips.

Some, including Coleman and fellow leadership aspirant Judith Collins, also called for an end to tax cut plans in favour of greater public spending on social programmes and law and order.

But Joyce said yesterday that while there would be a stocktake of all policies, most would remain. Tax cuts would be part of the mix alongside infrastructure, debt reduction and social spending.

He said Key’s resignation had changed the game for the 2017 election but he had not assumed the party would win even with Key as leader.

Joyce says there would be changes under English’s leadership after eight years under Key.

‘‘You have to go through a process of head-checking yourselves on all your policy positions, and many will stay the same, and a few will change, because circumstances change. So this just brings that into sharper relief, that’s all.’’

Senior Beehive sources are also downplaying the possibility of an early election to avoid a byelection in Auckland’s Mt Albert seat when Labour MP David Shearer leaves at the end of January for a United Nations’ peacekeeping role.

This week Labour leader Andrew Little is also expected to unveil a limited reshuffle of his line-up, including a replacement for Shearer in the foreign affairs role.

David Parker is seen as one option.

Little will also need to slot new Mt Roskill MP Michael Wood into his line-up, probably in a portfolio linked to important Auckland issues such as housing, transport or law and order.