Simon Bridges is promising a "significant" reshuffle of the National Party's front bench and has dropped a few hints about who might be in for a promotion.
"These things aren't easy," he told The AM Show on Monday.
"It's a bit like making a smoothie. You've got to put the right things in, but if you don't do it right, you get it wrong. It doesn't taste good."
The 41-year-old will be aiming for a balance between new faces and old.
"It's about basically keeping the experience that you need to - because you don't want to lose that, you want to look like you've got heft, experience counts - but you've also got to bring through new talent.
"The reality is if you look at the last nine years when we were in power, we brought people like me through, and gave us a chance. We need to keep doing that."
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Asked to name some up-and-comers who might be in for a promotion, at first Mr Bridges declined because "they're all listening".
But after being pressed, he came up with Todd Muller, Sarah Dowie and Stuart Smith.
Mr Muller, 49, has been an MP for three years. He has worked for Zespri, Fonterra and former Prime Minister Jim Bolger.
Ms Dowie was also elected in 2014, after a career in law. Mr Smith is the former chairman of the NZ Winegrowers' Association.
"If we're going to win in 2020, we need to have the talent that's going to make the difference," said Mr Bridges.
With both Sir John Key and Bill English gone, Mr Bridges said a "really strong role" will be open for the next most-powerful man in the party over the last decade - Steven Joyce.
But he wouldn't confirm if Mr Joyce would remain finance spokesman.
"Let's wait and see."
Newshub.
