As always, it was Judith Collins who got to the nub of things when describing how losing power has changed the National Party.

Holding court before 600 party members at the annual conference, the Papakura MP and once leadership contender, said of the change:

"The best thing about being in Opposition is we have got a couple of things we can use - and they are called ears."

She explained that in Government, ministers and MPs became so busy getting things done they might not have stopped to take in other views.

What was left unsaid is that maybe, just maybe, those who had been in power so long had perhaps come to believe that they knew best, or knew all.

Every Opposition starts its time in the wilderness promising to listen to the voters . . .