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Parliament resumes sitting on Tuesday after a two week recess that the National Party would probably rather forget.
According to the polls, National leader John Key may be New Zealand's next prime minister, but Key has been forced onto the back foot after a series of policy announcements backfired.
After a fortnight of self-inflicted wounds by National, some are asking if it is the end of the golden weather for Key.
"I never really thought I was in the honeymoon period...there's a lot of scrutiny that you're under on a day by day basis, I expect that scrutiny to intensify," says Key.
Policy announcements such as the removal of a cap on GP fees, leaving them open to market forces, has delivered the Labour Party a lifeline and a wake up call to Key.
"I think we have learnt some lesson over the last couple of weeks and we'll just do a better job in the future," says Key.
Indeed, the party has been quick to learn and recent talk about partial asset sales is already being watered down.
"If we do anything in the form of New Zealand assets we would be either extremely cautious or it will be well signalled, but it may be that we don't do anything at all. I don't see, and neither does Bill English see, selling New Zealand assets as a high priority," says Key.
Perhaps, surprisingly, Key acknowledges he may not hang on to his current polling lead. But if the clouds over National do have a silver lining, it is that election day is still a year away.
"In the end polls will tighten...there will be all sorts of things between now and the next election but there's one day in our history in 2008 that will determine whether National will be the next government, and I am deeply focused on that day," he says.
