Michaela Cullen
On the 19th of January, a teary Jacinda Ardern resigned as Prime Minister of New Zealand, saying she no longer has “that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice.”
After nearly six years as PM, Ardern received worldwide praise for her leadership, guiding the country through the Covid-19 pandemic and the Christchurch Mosque attacks.
Ardern said: “Withholding such a privileged role comes responsibility, including the responsibility to know when you’re the right person to lead, and also when you’re not.
“Being Prime Minister has been the greatest honour of my life and I want to thank New Zealanders for the enormous privilege of leading the country for the last five and a half years.”
Achievements in Power
Most Diverse Government
Following the New Zealand elections in 2020, Ardern’s government was recorded as the most diverse in New Zealand’s history, with more women, people of colour, LGBTQ+, and Indigenous members of Parliament than ever before. During that election, New Zealand became the fifth-best country for women’s representation in parliament at 43.3 percent.
The Pandemic
Ardern was praised, but also criticised, for her leadership during the pandemic. However, the country has the lowest number of covid-related deaths in the West, recording under 2,500 fatalities. Due to her quick action to close New Zealand’s borders in March 2020, the majority of the country remained covid-free until last year.
Ardern also announced in 2020 that she, her Government Ministers, and chief executives would take pay cuts for six months in order to show her support and solidarity for those feeling economic pressures from the pandemic.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that she, alongside Government Ministers and public service chief executives, will take a pay cut for the next six months as we all deal with the impacts of COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/y87xLcd6Es
— New Zealand Labour (@nzlabour) April 15, 2020
Response to Christchurch Attack
Ardern’s commitment to ban military-style rifles six days after the Christchurch Attack saw thousands of weapons and firearms surrendered.
Her empathetic response was praised as she visited the country’s Muslim and refugee communities, wearing a Muslim-style scarf.
Ardern also led the ‘Christchurch Call’ with French President Emmanuel Macron, pushing for tech organisations and politicians to commit to the surveillance and decrease of extremism on social media platforms. The global initiative was signed by leaders from across the globe and representatives from Twitter, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft in Paris in 2019.
She said: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved over the last five years in spite of the many challenges thrown at us.”
Facing misogyny and sexism
During her time as PM, Ardern was subjected to a wide range of sexist comments, from reporters questioning the conception of her child and asking if she dyed her hair because she was turning grey.
Notably last year, Ardern shut down comments about her meeting with Finnish PM Sanna Marin after a journalist asked if they were meeting because of their age and gender.
Even after Ardern’s resignation, the BBC’s misogynistic headline ‘Can women have it all?’ faced major backlash, with many criticising the backward nature of the article.
"Can women really have it all?" That is the biggest thing @BBCWorld got from Jacinda Ardern resigning for real? I CANNOT BELIEVE WE ARE STILL HERE. What about the question "Can the media address its own misogyny?" pic.twitter.com/Abpv51Gb6m
— Farrah Khan (@farrahsafiakhan) January 19, 2023
What’s Next for New Zealand?
Many world leaders have taken to Twitter to announce their shock at Ardern’s news.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how the lead with intellect and strength.”
Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength.
She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.
Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me. pic.twitter.com/QJ64mNCJMI
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) January 19, 2023
Chris Hipkins, 44, has been sworn in as Prime Minister. However, a poll by TVNZ has found Hipkins to be unpopular amongst citizens, resulting in his nickname ‘Mr 0.3 per cent.’
Hipkins currently holds the roles of Education Minister, Minister of Police, and Minister for Public Service, and held a key role in implementing the Covid-19 management strategy in New Zealand.
Hipkins has vowed to prioritise the ease of cost-of-living challenges.
He said: “New Zealanders will absolutely see in the coming weeks and months the cost of living is right at the heart of our work program.
“Covid-19 and the global pandemic created a health crisis. Now it’s created an economic one and that’s where my government’s focus will be.”
Featured image courtesy of Dan Freeman on Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.