Goff unveils Labour's new lineup 

With five new faces on Labour's front bench, opposition leader Phil Goff is promising his new line-up will hold the government to account.

Labour's new line up is the last chapter of the post-election wash up and has come swiftly.

The main event sees challenger Phil Goff versus the newly crowned titleholder Prime Minister John Key, while the undercard sees Labour's deputy leader Annette King going head-to-head with second term National MP Paula Bennett on social development.

King has a 20 year political reach on the new minister, but is playing down her chances.

"I think she can hold her own. Paula Bennett has shown she is a strong debater and I wish her well in the role. It's not about the person, it's about the position and the role and the policies they're going to implement," says King.

In the finance fight, heavy hitters David Cunliffe and deputy Prime Minister Bill English square off while Labour's Clayton Cosgrove is set to trade blows with Judith Collins in the high profile arena of law and order.

Goff has announced a line-up that includes five promotions to the front bench and five newcomers to the shadow Cabinet.

Ruth Dyson (health), Cosgrove (law and order and state-owned enterprises), Nanaia Mahuta (environment and tourism), Maryan Street (trade and tertiary education) and Darren Hughes (transport) are the frontbench promotions. They join Goff (SIS), King (social development), Cunliffe (finance), Chris Carter (education) and Parekura Horomia (Maori Affairs).

The three MPs promoted into the shadow Cabinet are Charles Chauvel (climate change and energy), Moana Mackey (rural affairs and research and development), Sue Moroney (early childhood education), Winnie Laban (Pacific Island Affairs) and Hughes.

Hughes and Laban were ministers outside Cabinet in the previous Labour-led government.

"The team is ready to get to work immediately. We'll be a constructive opposition, we're willing to work with any other party as long as we see the outcome being in the broader interests of all New Zealanders," Goff says.

The new leader says the line-up is a reflection of the new MPs moving forward who will be in parliament for a long time.

Former prime minister Helen Clark is Labour's new foreign affairs spokeswoman, while former deputy prime minister Michael Cullen is shadow leader of the House.

Pete Hodgson is one of the biggest losers in the reshuffle. The party's strategist has lost his front bench spot and has dropped from sixth on the party list to 16th.

Goff says Hodgson is comfortable with his position. He says if Labour had left the same front bench in place there would have been calls for change.

He says he has had no indication from Clark as to how long she will remain in parliament. There is speculation the former PM will head to Europe at some stage to take up a position there.

Goff says he would like to retain Clark's expertise, but says there is no doubt that with the skills and respect she has she could pick up an international position.

He says if that happens, he would expect there to be strong New Zealand bipartisan support for it.

Goff waited for Key to reveal his ministerial line-up before revealing all Labour's roles. He is pointing to the new Social Development and Employment Minister as a weak link in National's line-up.

Paula Bennett has taken on the role at a time where unemployment is expected to rise sharply forcing more people onto benefits. Goff says King has an important role in taking on an inexperienced minister in Bennett.

He says Bennett is a newcomer who may not be able to withstand the phalanx of the economic portfolio ministers who will be looking for savings in the social development area.

Meanwhile, Jim Anderson of the Progressives will formally co-operate with Labour in Opposition and will be the Opposition coalition agriculture spokesperson on behalf of both parties.

"Before the election, we said we would only enter government in partnership with Labour. We couldn't support National because we won't work with parties that are likely to increase poverty, that try to sell publicly-owned strategic assets, that increase unemployment, or that fail to take care of our most vulnerable citizens," Anderton said in a statement.

Anderton said a priority for the Progressives beyond his coalition role would be to push better access to dental care.