There are stark warnings for the National Party in the wake of Jacinda Ardern's election as leader of the Labour Party.
Right and left-wing commentators Chris Trotter and Matthew Hooton both agree Ms Ardern is a total game changer, with the potential to appeal to voters across National, New Zealand First and the Green Party.
Overnight, donations poured into the Labour Party, with party general secretary Andrew Kirton saying the party received more than $110,000 in donations and 600 new volunteers.
Presumably, those volunteers will be put to use replacing the party's election hoardings that have been up for just two weeks.
Right-wing commentator Matthew Hooton called Ms Ardern "an absolute flake" but warned National need to watch their backs or they risk underestimating her popularity.
"I think National is in big trouble here because they have worked with her in select committees for nine years, and they think she is an absolute flake, and they're saying about her the exact same thing I used to hear about [John] Key as he was emerging.
"I think National should watch themselves," he said on The AM Show on Wednesday morning.
Left-wing commentator Chris Trotter said Ms Ardern could see Labour rocket in the polls.
"Jacinda Ardern is worth 10 percentage points. They are coming from National, coming from NZ First, coming from the Greens. She appeals across boundaries," he said.
Ms Ardern has the ability to speak in a way that makes the electorate turn around and listen, he argued.
He said she can build the vote of women at the centre left, especially those who voted for John Key.
"Politics around the world has demonstrated its extraordinary volatility.
"Fifty days is plenty of time for Labour to turn this around if they have the right person," he said.
Mr Hooton warned polls already show the Opposition within striking distance of forming a Government.
"If she can just get one in nine National voters to switch to Labour and a few NZ First-ers to Labour, she'll be Prime Minister in two months," he said.
Mr Hooton said at least two of the seven remaining weeks will be Ms Ardern's honeymoon and turning to Duncan Garner, he said, "You'll treat her with kid gloves and you know it.
"If you are tough on her, you will be accused of being a misogynist and a bully," he said.
This morning Ms Ardern faced questions about whether she wants to have children, and whether it's acceptable to ask women that question in the workplace.
She responded saying "it's not acceptable" to ask women in that question but said it was all right to ask her personally as she has spoken openly about it in the past.
"For other women, it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace," she said.
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