However, announcing policy is off the party's agenda as it instead re-engages with the community after its election thrashing.

This week, Mr Hipkins took his caucus on its annual retreat, a trip to Martinborough, the winemaking region of the Wairarapa.

It was at 2023's retreat, held in Napier, that former prime minister Jacinda Ardern shocked the nation by resigning from office.

That announcement set in train one of the party's most calamitous years.

At the time Labour enjoyed majority government and a poll lead over a National party led by untested first-term MP Chris Luxon.

Since then, it has suffered a string of scandalous ministerial exits, high-profile brawls about policy and a mighty election defeat

Labour is in rejuvenation mode, with senior figures Andrew Little, Grant Robertson and Kelvin Davis joining the post-election exodus.

In Martinborough, Mr Hipkins acknowledged "a pretty intense year" for his MPs and "a pretty bumpy couple of years for New Zealand".

It's in that context that Mr Hipkins will attempt to reset the party under his leadership with speeches that will first "set out Labour values" and then "articulate the vision of New Zealand that we want to create".

"The decisions that we took were not necessarily ones you would expect of a Labour government," he said of the party's pandemic management.

"They were tough decisions. Those were extraordinary times. We're not in those extraordinary times now and New Zealanders will see Labour values coming to the fore."

Mr Hipkins said Labour's six years in government saw it distance itself from its key supporters due to the challenges of the times.

He spelled out a timeline that would mean Labour was unlikely to reveal key policies - including tax - until 2026.

"This year our focus very much is on reconnecting, listening, engaging with the community, starting to identify the issues that we want to campaign on," he said.

"Next year, we will be in more detailed policy development and then come election year we'll be telling people what our policies for the next election are going to be."

Tax is a central policy fight for Labour, with several MPs desperate to implement a capital gains or wealth tax to reduce inequality.

In a major flashpoint for his leadership last year, Mr Hipkins got cold feet on a wealth tax months before the election, which saw his revenue minister quit.

While more than half of Labour's 2020 cabinet are no longer with the party amid the upheaval, Mr Hipkins remains - despite the election drubbing.

Somewhat counterintuitively, the affable Wellingtonian has the best approval rating of any party leader.

While the government - a three-party coalition of the right - remains broadly popular, Mr Luxon has endured a torrid time and the lowest favourability of a newly elected prime minister in recent New Zealand history.

Mr Hipkins argues that the coalition has made closed-door deals that Kiwis didn't vote for.

"When New Zealanders voted for change - and they did vote for change - I don't think they were voting for more New Zealanders smoking ... more children living in poverty, faster degradation of our natural environment," he said.

"I think New Zealanders are frustrated by that."

In Martinborough, no Labour MPs offered even a hint of dissatisfaction at Mr Hipkins' leadership.

"I've never seen a caucus more united," former trade minister Damien O'Connor said.

"Of course we have different views. But I've never seen one more united and that's a legacy Jacinda left us."

Australian Associated Press