KEY POINTS:
Antarctica's weather willing, John Key plans to use next week's anniversary of his becoming National's leader as a platform for lifting his flagging profile ahead of election year.
A number of initiatives are planned to keep him in the public eye over the next few weeks to try to ensure Labour does not end the year with a morale-boosting closure of National's lead in opinion polls.
Mr Key completes his first 12 months as leader next Tuesday. However, his return from a short visit to Scott Base in Antarctica has been delayed and he may not be back until early that morning, throwing a potential spanner into National's planning.
National is saying nothing about those plans to relaunch him back into the political spotlight. But it is understood he will undertake a whistle-stop provincial tour, which will have the added function of getting him acquainted with the pressures he will face in an election campaign.
Mr Key has been evaluating his leadership style following a series of gaffes by himself and senior colleagues which ended his prolonged honeymoon in his party's top job.
A Fairfax poll last the week had Labour narrowing National's lead to just five percentage points - a gap which would keep Labour in power with the assistance of the Greens and the Maori Party.
An averaging of recent polls has National leading Labour by around eight points.
REPORT CARD: LEADER'S FIRST 12 MONTHS IN THE JOB
The pluses
High personal rating in preferred prime minister polls; retention of Don Brash-instigated lead over Labour in party standings; tackling the Prime Minister head on in Parliament; talking Bill English into accepting the deputy leader's job and Gerry Brownlee into vacating it; Burnside speech on the "underclass"; instilling discipline into National's fractious caucus; shifting National towards centre without screams coming from party's right; developing informal relations with the Maori Party and the Greens; avoiding public spat with rebel MP Brian Connell.
The minuses
Failing to topple Helen Clark as preferred prime minister; not getting the better of the Prime Minister more frequently in Parliament; Labour highlighting his shifting positions on Iraq; bungle over GPs' fees; no sign of improving relations with NZ First; the burglary of his Auckland home.
Biggest coup
Brokering compromise on anti-smacking legislation.
Biggest blooper
Telling National Party conference that "under a Labour Government I lead ... "
Biggest gamble
Visiting Mt Albert's McGehan Place after pigeonholing residents as members of the "underclass".
Big mouth strikes again
Saying National would sign up to transtasman therapeutics agency and then denying he made such a statement.
Ruthless moments
Refusing to let Brian Connell back into National caucus; not offering meaningful job to Don Brash after he stepped down from leadership.
Moments to forget
Mentioning the war in Iraq "is over".
