Award-winning political correspondent John Armstrong assesses Helen Clark's performance after eight years in the top job.
KEY POINTS:
MOTIVATION
As strong as ever, perhaps even stronger. Utterly focused on winning again and joining the likes of Sir Keith Holyoake and Richard John Seddon among those New Zealand prime ministers to have secured a fourth term as the country's chief executive. Insists she has no Plan B if she loses.
VISION
Improving after a lean patch earlier in current term. Has answered critics who said Labour had run out of ideas by talking carbon neutrality, introducing emissions trading system, negotiating free trade agreement with China and developing plan to keep students at school or in training until age of 18.
Some of Clark's "big ideas" are borrowed from overseas. But that is of little concern to voters. Has so far released little policy ahead of this election, but likely to have something big up her sleeve to jolt change-oriented electorate.
LEADERSHIP
Has increasingly polarised the public the longer she has remained in power. Now hated with a passion in some quarters - the inevitable outcome of the accumulating acts of pragmatism, compromise and expedience required of any long-surviving prime minister.
However, still respected - although not loved - by a large portion of the electorate.
Rating as preferred prime minister remains extraordinarily high for such a long-serving premier - around double the level of Jim Bolger and Jenny Shipley prior to them losing the keys to Premier House.
Those consistent ratings may be one reason Labour's support has remained reasonably solid since 1999. Without her, Labour would be doomed to defeat on November 8. If she loses, she can negotiate her exit at her convenience.
JUDGMENT
Still sound, but occasional lapses. Cautious and conservative, she always consults widely before making critical decisions.
Experience has taught her to hold nerve and avoid panic responses to fleeting crises as the public memory is short.
Politically costly reluctance to heed majority view on anti-smacking legislation was driven by personal wish to pass legislation which might help halt child beatings.
Seeming blind spots on Labour's pledge card heist and flawed Electoral Finance Bill.
Also got herself in a muddle over Owen Glenn twice in one year. Should have wiped her hands of Phillip Field far earlier but was worried about losing Pacific Islander vote.
More lenient to Winston Peters than his behaviour warranted, but she was wary of the damage he might inflict had she ditched him completely.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Declining. Not so much with her as her party. Has been fighting potential loss of up to 10 per cent of customer base in terms of Labour's market share of the party vote.
Response has been to stress reliability of her product while denigrating rival by claiming its packaging is flashy but the contents insubstantial and unlikely to work in way its buyers expect.
MANAGERIAL STYLE
Basically unchanged. Leads by example. Has avoided becoming arrogant and out of touch - the usual fate of those too long in the Beehive. Longevity of her Government partly a result of placing a premium on unity.
Has imposed iron discipline on colleagues, her caucus and the party in order to get it. As Prime Minister, she puts the emphasis on "prime", being well briefed on what is happening across all portfolios, jumping on colleagues who muck up and even taking over if things are not fixed.
Not averse to leaving a minister to hang out to dry if warranted. However, that is compensated by her ensuring that loyalty is two-way street. Her tame Cabinet reshuffles are testimony - Labour is family and family come first. Has increasing tendency to blame public servants, rather than colleagues, when things turn to custard.
COMMUNICATION
Still all over the media when it matters - and often when it doesn't. A formidable communicator with an astonishing recall of detail which comes from hours spent on the job and ensuring officials provide the information she wants.
However, she is no longer quite as frank and direct in her answers to questions as she once was. As her Government has weathered successive storms, she has become less willing to answer difficult questions on contentious subjects.
Either she has "not been briefed"or she was not involved in a decision or it was "lost in the mists of time", her most recent reason for not being able to explain why her Government did a particular thing.
Clark is very clever at putting distance between herself and her Government's problems - getting far enough away to avoid taking responsibility while remaining close enough to say they will be fixed.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Impressive. Has conducted radical, if belated overhaul of personnel in staff rejuvenation exercise by getting large chunk of MPs to retire, but without creating major discord.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
Still a prime minister very much in her prime, while other long-serving colleagues are starting to fall by the wayside. The public still retains huge confidence in her. After nine years, however, more and more voters are inevitably starting to tire of her.
It would be a fair bet that this election will be her last whichever way it goes.
