Tim Dower: Hipkins may be the front man, but who really holds the power?

It couldn't have worked out better for Labour... and by the same token, it couldn't have worked out worse for National.

Jacinda Ardern's timing in stepping down gives her replacement a full nine months run at the job.

And the replacement process —concluded quickly and cleanly— saves Labour the painful process of a leadership contest, a membership vote, and having to win over the unions.

There wasn't really an alternative to Chippy, with Grant Robertson ruling himself out right from the get-go.

I've seen him described as the fix-it Minister, but to be honest, what has he fixed?

Education... not that flash right now, truancy rates have never been higher, the polytechnic merger is a dog's breakfast.

And two-thirds of students can't write properly, according to the NCEA pilot. But we all know how to fix that; just lower the pass rate.

Hipkins is also the so-called fix-it Minister of Police, called in to take over from Poto Williams. You see any improvement there? No? Me neither.

As Minister for the Public Service he's presided over a massive blowout in the number of officials, bureaucrats, and spin doctors.

So, we get a new face as Prime Minister but does anything really change?

Hipkins may be the front man, but who holds the real power within Labour right now?

We'll see over the next weeks and months just how much of a difference he can make.

So far I've not heard many people suggesting he's got enough in the tank to reverse Labour's fortunes.

But I'm not so sure of that. New Zealanders have fallen in love with a show-pony before, who's to say it won't happen again?

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