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Gerry Brownlee says his and Judith Collins' experience will come in handy.
He's now the deputy leader of the National Party and Collins is the leader.
Brownlee told Mike Yardley there's something to be said for longevity and for having been there before.
He says nothing is the same, and everything is before them.
Brownlee says New Zealand is facing unprecedented, economically damaging times but experience with the GFC and other financial crises can be drawn on.
National MPs took two hours late last night to decide Collins should be their new leader, with Gerry Brownlee elected as her deputy. Nikki Kaye, who was Muller's deputy, did not seek re-election for the position.
Brownlee says that Muller's resignation had come as a "shock for us".
"The circumstances aren't all that good but getting a bit of stability into the place was absolutely necessary and that's what my colleagues thought this would do."
When asked what he brought to the new leadership team, he said there was a gender balance with he and Collins and representation for the North and South islands.
New Zealand was facing uncertain times and he rejected the suggestion National could not win the election. "No one goes into any election looking to lose well.
"We'll be going for as much party vote as we can possibly get," he said.
Brownlee also dismissed the reliability of polls, drawing on the shock results in recent elections in Australia and the UK.
Muller called it quits in a shock announcement at 7.30am yesterday, just 53 days in the job after rolling Bridges in a coup. Ten weeks out from the election, he cited the toll the job had taken on his health.
Even MPs close to Muller were blindsided by the development, saying they had not realised he was struggling to that extent.
Shell-shocked MPs rushed back to Wellington's corridors of power from far corners of the country for their 7pm meeting to vote on who should be their new leader.
Muller's exit left the caucus to elect its fourth leader in three years - and to try to rebuild yet again.
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