The New Assembly in the North will create an entirely new layer of government, with ministers and departments. Who will actually be in the various ministerial seats is uncertain. What is certain is that there will be a coalition made up of parties with no love for each other. It might be expected that there will be an immense amount of back-biting, both on the record and off. Alternatively, it is just conceivable that the spirit of power-sharing and common interest will lead to a disciplined approach to dealing with the media.
In the recent coalition governments in the Republic, all the party press officers have sat in on daily briefings to the media's political correspondents; the main government press officer (appointed by the senior partner in the government) speaks for the government. It is unlikely that such a gentlemanly arrangement will emerge at Stormont. At the time of writing, the DUP have signalled their intention not to take part in dealings with crossborder bodies, and it is difficult to imagine that other divisive issues such as parades, decommissioning, and fair employment could ever be resolved to the extent that a single government "line" will emerge.
And who will explain the closure of hospitals, rising unemployment figures and why jobs from a factory in Belfast are moving to a plant in Asia? A natural reaction will be to try and place the blame elsewhere when an unpopular decision is made. When the coalition is made up of sworn enemies, this reaction becomes all the more predictable.
In such circumstances, spin doctors could be working overtime. Ultimately they could even attempt to pass blame to London or Dublin.
The two main parties which will form the executive, the SDLP and UUP, have built up close relations during the negotiations for the Belfast Agreement and especially in the run-up to the referendum. Two nights before the referendum in May, both party leaders attended a concert/peace rally by Ash and U2: John Hume and David Trimble came out on stage and clasped hands. Could this have been the first photo opportunity organised by a joint press machine in its infancy? Conal McKevitt, director of communications for the SDLP, openly laughs when this is suggested. David Kerr, press secretary to David Trimble, says: "Party politics is alive and well in Northern Ireland, I can assure you."
The close co-operation has continued during the summer; First Minister David Trimble and his deputy, the SDLP's Seamus Mallon, have worked together through events such as Drumcree, Omagh and President Clinton's visit. These are seen, however, as being issues of "humanity", above normal politics; Kerr suggests both parties will have very different things to say once the executive begins in earnest.
Parties such as Alliance or the Women's Coalition which, through lack of numbers, have not secured a ministerial position will be in "opposition" in the assembly . These opposition parties will presumably add their voices to those criticising ministers' decisions. Richard Good of Alliance comments that being outside the government will create both the demand and the need to criticise the government. This will be the most obvious way for small parties to assert themselves and keep a high profile.
On key constitutional issues any of the parties could also find themselves in opposition or facing large party rebellions. As a fully functioning assembly, executive and crossborder bodies come closer to being a reality, there will be much political jockeying in the North. It doesn't look like spin doctors will be short of work.