Ardern's legacy - Some Labour policies are safe. A lot are on the chopping block

The most common and cutting critique of Jacinda Ardern's Labour government was that it couldn't get anything done.

- Henry Cooke

Transport was the best cudgel for this attack. Ardern promised a light rail line in Auckland that six years later nobody has started to build. Tens of millions were spent planning a bridge across the city's harbour that was scrapped.

But there were serious policy achievements managed by the Labour government, led by Ardern and then Chris Hipkins, which was swept from power last Saturday. The problem for that legacy is that much of it is on the chopping block of the incoming National-led government.

In welfare and poverty reduction, Ardern made global headlines for slapping the word "wellbeing" before "budget". Less noisy but more effective were new benefits, welfare increases and changes to how welfare was administered. The new benefits and boosts appear safe - a Winter Energy Payment that tops up incomes and a "best start" payment for all new parents.