As Labour’s ship sinks, Jacinda Ardern is thrust into the leadership role just seven weeks out from the election. How does one woman turn around nine years of poor performance and get her party out of the wilderness?

From the ashes, a phoenix did not rise. Andrew Little made no inroads against John Key - and all the worse, there was a star in his caucus and he could see her glow getting brighter and brighter.

He told John Key to book a very long holiday in Hawaii, but ended up looking forlorn on Herne Bay Beach. David Cunliffe got the job he always wanted, but plummeted Labour to lows not seen in nearly a century.

After a blistering defeat, a relative newcomer to parliament becomes Leader of the Opposition.  While David Shearer’s extensive experience with the UN might have helped him win over caucus, it did little with the public. And from the start he had a challenger on his heel. 

How do you follow a popular political leader who’s just spent 9 years in power whilst squaring off against a leader soaring in the public opinion polls? That’s the challenge Phil Goff faced as he tries to turn around Labour’s fate.

Expect untold stories and thoughtful political insight from those that were there.