Asked what New Zealand's parliament would be like during Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's maternity leave, the country's opposition leader this week said: "a snoozefest".
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A day later he's rethinking that.
As the heavily pregnant Ms Ardern left the capital on Monday to be nearer her hospital in Auckland for the remainder of the week, the man who will fill her shoes began to rock the boat.
Before the dust had even settled behind the prime minister, it was revealed deputy PM Winston Peters had launched a privacy breach lawsuit worth around $NZ400,000 ($A369,000), reportedly against a government department, two senior civil servants and a pair of former cabinet ministers.
Given the case goes back to leaking of Mr Peters' pension details before last year's election, some commentators questioned the timing.
He declined to answer questions on the matter on Tuesday, saying it was before the courts.
And the lawsuit wasn't the only surprise.
The news came just hours after it was confirmed Mr Peters' populist NZ First party - which holds nine seats in New Zealand's 120-seat parliament and is in coalition with Ms Ardern's Labour - had scuppered a hallmark Labour proposal to repeal a three-strikes criminal sentencing law.
"What we've seen in the last 24 hours is he is an unpredictable character," opposition and National Party leader Simon Bridges told reporters.
"We are about to have acting Prime Minister Winston Peters and his very first act is to sue his own government ... I think he should focus on government and New Zealand, not his own personal vendetta."
The most experienced figure in Kiwi politics, the 73-year-old Mr Peters has been deputy prime minister before (in the '90s). But he and Ms Ardern have been steadily working to assure the public about the veteran taking the reigns.
"I've almost found it surprising people have questioned that it will be anything other than business as usual for us," she told TVNZ on Sunday.
"I have absolutely no concerns."
She played down the lawsuit, telling Radio NZ it was a private matter and wouldn't affect Mr Peters' ability to do his job.
While Ms Ardern - due to give birth on Sunday - has left Wellington, she's still running the show from Auckland until the baby arrives, and will be on call for major decisions during her leave.
Australian Associated Press
