Well, that's the election done and dusted, and the polls did in fact translate into votes on the day. 

Jacinda Ardern has led Labour to an historic victory and has been given a mandate to deliver the policies she promised three years ago. 

There was a failure to deliver on those three years ago. Excuses can be found and made and accepted for reasons why that was so, but there can simply be no excuses. 

There will be no handbrake in the form of New Zealand First. National and ACT will barely be able to scrape together a decent opposition. 

So this is the opportunity for Labour to deliver policies that will shape the way they believe New Zealand should be - as previous Labour administrations have done. 

Jacinda Ardern has promised that she will be a leader for all New Zealanders:

In her victory speech, she thanked New Zealanders for giving them their vote and their trust in the Covid recovery.

“For those amongst you who may not have supported Labour before, and the results tell me there was a few of you – to you, I say thank you. We will not take your support for granted.”

It's not going to be easy though.  Yes, Labour has a mandate to govern alone but these are extraordinary times and things are going to get tougher before they get better. 

National Party leader - for the moment, at least - Judith Collins warned of the dire economic situation looming.

She told her supporters that the country will need to see better fiscal policy.

So whether your team won or not, are you relieved the election is over and we have some certainty for the next three years?  What do you want to see this government prioritise? 

And if you were a former National voter, what is going to bring you back to the fold if you're a disillusioned centre right voter?

I was talking to Chloe Swarbrick yesterday, and she said that if the day comes that she takes the job for granted, where she feels blasé about it, she will want to get out.

I think some of the National Party people need to do that to themselves – have a long, hard rule at the reasons why they are there.

That born to rule mandate that many of them feel they have just doesn’t exist anymore. If they haven't got the passion and they haven't got the fire and they have forgotten why they are there, then this is probably a good time to stay out or get out, and really rejuvenate the National Party.