Since then New Zealand First leader Winston Peters - who opted to go into a coalition with Labour on Wednesday - has championed the issue, pledging before the election that he'd do everything he could to ensure a manned re-entry of the mine, and meeting with the families before their Supreme Court case earlier this month.
The Herald on Sunday understands those in line for the potential new portfolio are West Coast-based MP Damien O'Connor, and former Labour leader Andrew Little, a former union boss who has strong links to the Pike River families.
Neither could be contacted for comment yesterday.
A Labour party spokesperson yesterday warned against believing any "scuttlebutt", saying nothing had been finally decided.
He said he didn't know if the issues around Pike River would be decided this weekend, but said that it "probably would be".
No formal meetings are expected between Ardern and Greens leader James Shaw or New Zealand First leader Winston Peters this weekend, but several phone conversations are likely.
"When you consider it's a three-fold operation, it's a little tricky," the Labour spokesperson said.
"And also the final details on policy, on what's announced out of all the different agreements."
Bernie Monk, whose son Michael Monk was killed by the Pike River Mine explosion, said he hadn't been given any information on the new Government's plans.
But he was confident the families would now be heard, whether an announcement was made next week or some other time within the first 100 days of the new Government.
"I'm fully aware of how much work they've got to do," he said.
"We've waited seven years, so what's another few days?"
Monk said it felt like the country was behind them, and that politicians would now take notice.
He said the family members wanted an attempt to retrieve the remains of their loved ones, as well as get some answers on what caused the spark that started the explosion.
"Our experts are sitting in the wings, they've been working on this for the last two weeks. They're just waiting for the nod to help the government with a manned re-entry," he said.
"We know it's on the agenda now. There's a hang of a lot of work got to be done behind the scenes.
"But this government wants to get it done. The other government, always when the pressure went on them, they passed it on to a company that had no intentions of doing the job in the first place.
"It was easy for them to pass the buck."
While much of the workings of the new Government remains to be confirmed publicly, Ardern confirmed in an interview with The Nation yesterday that Labour's immigration policy wasn't changed in their negotiations with NZ First.
Labour promised to limit student and work visas, estimating net migration would fall by between 20-30,000 per year.
In the year to June 2017, net migration was 72,305.
NZ First had campaigned on the much stricter policy of reducing net migration to just 10,000 people per year.
Ardern also told The Nation that child poverty and homelessness was a focus.
The Green Party's also confirmed it has four government positions outside Cabinet, but it is staying mum on the exact details until Jacinda Ardern formally announces them next week.
Green Party leader James Shaw and MPs Eugenie Sage, Julie Anne Genter and Jan Logie will fill the spots.
Ardern has dropped strong hints that Shaw will be Climate Change Minister, while Sage would be a good fit for Conservation Minister and Genter is expected to get Associate Transport.
That leaves Logie as an under-secretary, typically a job which focuses on a specific project.
