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.

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.

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.”

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.

Michaela is currently in her third year studying Journalism at the University of Technology Sydney. She has contributed to the UTS newsroom Central News with a range of political and social justice stories. She is also the 2023 Australian Foreign Policy Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs and Editor-in-Chief of the United Nations Youth NSW Global Advocate Magazine.

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