UPDATED 2.55pm Members of parliament and the party faithful are descending on Christchurch today for National's 80th annual conference.

Holding the annual conference in Christchurch is symbolic of the tricky waters National is currently navigating, a band-aid attempt to win back voters after problems with the Rebuild, including a warning from Treasury that key anchor projects were in danger of not being delivered.

The warning sings of 'third-term-itis' are everywhere for the party, and are starting to make voters restless.

Homelessness, inequality, and education are other issues currently dogging the government, and are likely to be top of the agenda.

Even though the next election is more than a year away, this weekend's conference will focus on National finding its footing, setting a course to take the stable centre ground.

HOUSING

Temporary emergency housing in the form of pre-fabricated houses on Government land could be the next solution to the homelessness crisis.

Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she wants it in place before next winter, but it would require Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan to be in place.

Ms Bennett said it’s just to plug a gap, until more permanent state housing is built.

"We've got the state home build going on. We're literally opening new homes every week. We've got 2800 just in the Tamaki area that are going to be coming through in future years.

"We would probably be leasing land that we still want to keep for future transport and education use in years to come so we may not need it for 15 to 20 years."

The housing crisis is being rebranded by the Government as a good thing, in a speech to the party faithful.

Finance Minister Bill English has given a speech on the economy, and says many of the current problems are speed bumps from a growing and productive economy.

"Lots of countries would like to solving the housing, the traffic, the public service problems that go with having more of your own people being productive," he said.

TOURIST DRIVERS

Bluetooth technology will soon be in rental cars, in a bid to help tourist drivers travel safely.

The Transport Agency is working with HMI Technologies and Go Rentals for the trial, which is running for three months between Christchurch and Queenstown.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges says it gives audio alerts from anything as basic as staying left, or when a sharp corner is coming up, to more complicated changing conditions.

"For example, tell things about the temperature and therefore deduce that it's icy on that particular piece of road. That information will automatically be pushed out through the device and into the car."

The new technology is available only in English for now.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss said they’ll add more languages eventually, but it’s no accident that they’re starting with English.

"The tourist drivers who have the most accidents are actually Australians who speak English."

BREXIT AND TRADE

Finance Minister Bill English is pouring cold water on the idea that Brexit will mean closer trade ties between Britain and New Zealand.

A member of the National Party faithful asked if the closer relationship was possible, during a Q & A at the conference.

Mr English said he doesn't think much will change for our exporters.

"We have spent 40 years reorientating away from it. It used to take 30 per cent of our exports. It now takes somewhere between three and five depending on how you count tourism."