Jacinda Ardern will move the public conversation a little further away from her new role as mother-PM next week, with the announcement of a raft of new policies, says 1 NEWS political editor Jessica Mutch.
After returning to work yesterday following nearly six weeks of maternity leave for her newborn daughter Neve, Ardern will not be interested in exploiting public sympathy for the new maternal "juggling act" she finds herself in.
"My prediction is she's going to come out swinging this week with lots of announcements and that will open the doors for that [National Party criticism]," Mutch said.
"And I think it will be gloves off and go for it."
But despite this, Mutch's impression after interviewing her yesterday was that Ardern was aware of the compromises she will have to make for Neve.
"I feel like she's come to terms with the fact that she's going to have to balance both, and we saw that first hand yesterday," Mutch said.
"It was day one on the job, she was inviting media into her home and in-between interviews attending to Neve and doing bits and piece like that, so I think we saw, it's going to be a juggling act."
Fronting the media for one of the first times as a new mother, the Prime Minister was "at pains" to emphasise the unique nature of her job means she will have to get back into the flow of work quickly.
"She does have a very unusual job. But saying that she does have the ability to have a partner staying at home," Mutch said.
"Clarke will be travelling with her wherever she goes, they'll be base in Wellington first which means she'll be able to see Neve in between.
"She's still breast feeding, so where she goes Neve will have to go.
"The other thing on the agenda is next month she's off to New York and that's going to be a big thing too so they're going to pack up the family, head off to New Y9ork and you can imagine the attention they're going to get for that."
Mutch also revealed the Prime Minister had enjoyed the past six weeks away form the political fray.
"She said 'look this last six weeks has been a gift, I've appreciated it, but I have a unique job and i have to get back into it'," Mutch said.
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