In the end, New Zealand’s 41st prime minister was chosen by the Labour Party caucus from a field of one. Chris Hipkins was the only candidate, and the transition following Jacinda Ardern’s surprise resignation was smooth.

It needed to be – any prolonged and divisive process would simply have compounded the problems of a government trailing in the polls and struggling to control the political narrative. With Hipkins now in the top job there is at least the possibility of a reset, with nearly nine months until the election on October 14.

That’s the optimistic version, of course. As Grant Duncan argues in his analysis of the Hipkins ascendency, one alternative is a continuing slow spiral down, culminating in election defeat and another long time in the wilderness looking for the right leader for the times.

The current consensus seems to be that Hipkins can at least make a proper contest of it. He’s experienced, energetic, combative and competent. Perhaps most of all, he doesn’t inspire the intense emotional responses Ardern did – positive or negative – and can take some of that unhelpful heat out of the political kitchen.

Whether that is enough to stem or reverse the slow drift of swing voters from Labour to the opposition National Party remains moot for now – though not for long.

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