New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern resigns, polls show decline in votes

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Jan 2023 09:40
1 Shares

The PM will step down from her post no later than February 7, but will continue as an MP until the upcoming election this year.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has resigned (AP)

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern submitted her resignation on Thursday, confessing she no longer "has enough in the tank" to do the job justice.

“I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple,” she said.

She will step down from her post no later than February 7, but she will continue as an MP until the upcoming election this year.

“I am human, politicians are human. We give all that we can for as long as we can. And then it’s time. And for me, it’s time,” she said, adding that the past five years and a half during her post has carried a massive and challenging agenda tackling climate change, poverty, the pandemic, and terrorist attacks.

As the world’s youngest female head of government elected as prime minister in 2017 at age 37, she led New Zealand through attacks such as the two mosques in Christchurch, and disasters like the White Island volcanic eruption. She was asked how she would like her country to remember her, to which she replied: “as someone who always tried to be kind.”

“I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader – one who knows when it’s time to go,” Ardern relayed, adding: “I don’t want to leave the impression that the adversity you face in politics is the reason that people exit. Yes, it does have an impact. We are humans after all, but that was not the basis of my decision,”

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

No future plans

Ardern declared that as of now, no future plans are in place except for spending more time with her partner, Clarke Gayford and her daughter Neve, whom she thanked during her resignation speech as “the ones that have sacrificed the most out of all of us”, as she continued: “To Neve: mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke – let’s finally get married.”

This comes in light of the upcoming election due October 14, for which her Labor Party already shows a decline in the poll, but Ardern argues that it was not the factor behind her resignation.

The Labour Party has seven days to find whether a new candidate to replace her has more than two-thirds of the support within the caucus to become the new leader and prime minister - which should take place on January 22.

Opposition National leader Christopher Luxon said the now-former PM had “made a significant contribution to New Zealand, in what is a difficult and demanding job” and Luxon called her a “strong ambassador for New Zealand on the world stage”.

“Her leadership in the aftermath of the Christchurch terror attacks was simultaneously strong and compassionate, and is something she can be proud of,” he concluded.