Bill English took a couple of days out early in the week for family time but recess week is the Opposition's time to shine and the leader has barely been seen.

OPINION: There's been a big hole where the Opposition leader is meant to be this week. Bill English has gone AWOL.

Parliament was in recess this week so it's perfectly normal to only see the Government ministers about the precinct but this is the time for the Opposition to shine. So where exactly is their leader?

Recess weeks in the press gallery are a welcome relief from the chaos of the House sitting but when it comes to finding stories, one can be left scraping the barrel.

WARWICK SMITH/STUFF Simon Bridges is proving a class act in Opposition, writes Jo Moir.

That's why Opposition MPs are a political journalist's best friend in recess - they desperately want the air time and they know the media are just as desperate for a story to run.

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KEVIN STENT/STUFF Judith Collins has wrestled deputy leader Paula Bennett out of a regular television slot to show-off her Opposition prowess on a weekly basis.

Some have taken to Opposition like a duck to water with the likes of Nikki Kaye and Judith Collins barking at everything passing by them.

Steven Joyce has been strolling around Parliament buildings doing a terrible job of hiding the fact he's quite enjoying going up against Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

But where's Bill?

MURRAY WILSON/STUFF National's education spokesperson Nikki Kaye has hit the ground running in Opposition and is one of the most visible MPs currently.

According to his office it's been business as usual for the most part - he had some family time overseas at the start of the week but has been well and truly back since Tuesday.

If this is business as usual for the Opposition leader then he should be very worried about the ambitious MPs on his front bench.

English says he's sticking it out with National after failing to be elected prime minister for the second time in his political career.

KEVIN STENT/STUFF Shadow leader of the House Simon Bridges has already had some big hits in just a month. He's taken to Opposition like a duck to water.

The party says it wants English in the leadership and many are still sore about how much of the vote they won and it not being enough to keep them in Government.

English ran the campaign of his life and, for now, most National MPs think he's the right man for the job - they just resent Winston Peters for not seeing it the same way they do.

But if English is serious about sticking it out for the term then he needs to act like he wants to be here.

While he fronted for his reply to the speech to the throne and on issues like Paid Parental Leave, his senior colleagues have been doing much of the leg work.

At the moment there's at least three of his front bench gunning for his job and their ambitions have been in full display in the House where they're almost openly rehearsing for the role.

Question Time has been all but taken over by shadow leader of the House Simon Bridges, Kaye and Collins - with a bit of Joyce from the old guard reminding people he's not short of a jibe or two.

Deputy leader Paula Bennett, who was being groomed by former Prime Minister John Key and English to take over running the ship, has all but disappeared.

She's lost her regular Friday morning television slot - no surprises Collins elbowed her way into that gig to battle it out with her transport counterpart Phil Twyford.

Kaye and Bridges have been tag teaming as they create chaos for Education Minister and Leader of the House Chris Hipkins and tertiary spokesman Paul Goldsmith, almost invisible in Government, seems to be basking in his newfound Opposition freedom.

Bridges ran against Bennett for deputy leader last year after Key announced his shock resignation and both Collins and Jonathan Coleman threw their hat in the ring for leader against English.

Both Collins and Bridges are class acts in Opposition - they're fast on their feet and they've both got a bit of pitbull in them.

Kaye is ambitious and can dine out on the fact she beat the hugely popular Ardern in the Auckland Central seat twice.

But don't be fooled into thinking it's only Kaye, Collins and Bridges with their eye on the leader prize.

Coleman wouldn't have any qualms about giving it another crack but he's going to have to school up fast on how Opposition works. Sitting quietly in the corner isn't a winning formula.

Then there's Amy Adams. She's smart - don't forget she got given just about every portfolio there was in the last government, given how competent she is.

She's not an obvious leader and didn't put her hand up last time round but chances are she's playing the long game on this one.

Then there's the second wave - the backbenchers.

At least two of them have been tipped as future leaders and now they've found themselves with much more responsibility in Opposition - a test if you will on how they can handle the pressure.

Both Todd Muller and Chris Bishop have risen through the ranks to take on climate change and police respectively.

Bishop was one of the biggest winners at the election stealing the safe Labour seat of Hutt South.

He's been rewarded with a portfolio that gets lots of headlines and with the Government's plans to significantly boost the number of frontline officers, Bishop will be like a dog with a bone holding Police Minister Stuart Nash to account.

MPs are back at Parliament next week for the final four-week slog into Christmas as the Government pushes to get through its 100-day plan.

While the National Party has got very good at singing from the same song sheet and showing a united front over its leader, English had better front up and be heard next week unless he wants to fight for his political survival once again.

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