Jacinda Ardern says goodbye to parliament: how her politics of kindness fell on unkind times – The Conversation

Jacinda Arderns resignation as prime minister in January was a courageous and pragmatic decision for herself, her family and her party. Although many said shed done a great job as leader, she rightly reminded us that a great leader is one who knows when its time to go.

Since hitting stellar heights in mid-2020, Arderns Labour Party had dropped significantly in the polls and was trailing the opposition National Party throughout 2022. The Jacinda effect had switched from being a uniting force to a polarising one. With an election coming in October, it was time for a change.

Her decision to stand down was as politically astute and timely as her elevation to leader of the Labour Party in August 2017. After all, Labour is now ahead of National in recent polls.

By the time she gives her valedictory statement to parliament later today, Ardern will have served as an MP for nearly 15 years. While the intervening period has undoubtedly changed her, she remains in many ways the same person she was as a novice backbencher.

In her maiden speech to the House of Representatives in 2008, she expressed the small-town values that got her started:

Some people have asked me whether I am a radical. My answer to that question is very simple: I am from Morrinsville. Where I come from a radical is someone who chooses to drive a Toyota rather than a Holden or a Ford.

She described herself as a social democrat who believed in human rights, social justice, equality and democracy. She spoke especially about work, education, community and the reduction of poverty child poverty in particular.

All fine aspirations. But back then, Arderns Labour Party was looking at nine long years in opposition after Helen Clarks three-term government lost power. Unable to break the run Nationals John Key enjoyed as prime minister, Labour went through one leader after another while Ardern rose through the ranks.

In mid-2017, despite a mood for change, it still looked like the election wouldnt go well for Labour, at the time polling down around 25%. Then, at the beginning of August, Andrew Little handed leadership of the party to Ardern. With just seven weeks until the election, it was either an inspired move or the ultimate hospital pass.

As history shows, however, Arderns elevation immediately energised Labours campaign. It also drew international attention to the New Zealand election, as what became known as Jacindamania changed the mood on the streets and in the media.

Critics sometimes labelled Ardern the accidental prime minister a rookie appointed by Winston Peters, whose New Zealand First party held the balance of power in post-election negotiations. Conventional wisdom has it that Ardern simply offered Peters a better coalition deal, despite her party having won fewer seats than National.

But Peters gave those critics some more ammunition during a recent TV interview. He appeared to reveal that New Zealand First was forced to choose coalition with Labour when then-National leader Bill English alerted him to a potential leadership coup by Judith Collins.

According to Peters, English had assured him Collins didnt have the numbers to pull it off. (Collins would eventually become National leader, of course, losing spectacularly to Ardern at the 2020 election.)

This sliding-doors version of events may be conjecture. But Peters cant have forgotten how Jenny Shipley had rolled previous National leader and prime minister Jim Bolger in 1997. That ultimately led to the breakup of the National-New Zealand First coalition in which Peters had been deputy prime minister and treasurer.

Perhaps, then, we have Collins to thank for Arderns elevation to the top job. Well probably never know.

The Jacinda effect wasnt a flash in the pan, however. Labours election support went from 25% in 2014 to 37% in 2017, and then to an extraordinary 50% in 2020. Coming on the back of Arderns exemplary leadership through the COVID pandemic, it was an unprecedented result under the countrys proportional MMP system.

Her belief in kindness as a political force appeared to have been vindicated, if not for long. While New Zealand eventually recorded the worlds lowest excess mortality rate during the pandemic, this success was far from cost-free. In particular, there was a human and political price to pay for the lockdowns and border closures.

Businesses struggled, many New Zealanders abroad couldnt return, and many resisted the pressure to be vaccinated. No nation escaped unscathed, and in New Zealand resistance to vaccine mandates boiled over on the grounds of parliament in early 2022.

Some protesters were angered by Arderns trademark empathy and kindness, which they now perceived as a false front. Due to the extremist elements among the protests, she refused to address them directly.

Arderns positive leadership reputation was earned on her responses to tragedies: the Christchurch terror attack, the Whakaari-White Island eruption, and the pandemic. But no sane politician would have welcomed such crises.

Nor were they part of Arderns social democratic plan. In fact, they hindered it. She did a lot for child poverty and family incomes, in line with her core values. But those achievements were overshadowed by a pandemic response that upended her governments fiscal policy.

So, if catastrophes were the making of Jacindas career as prime minister, they were also the breaking of it. From her first campaign speech in August 2017, she had created a sense of promise that her government was ultimately unable to fulfil.

She claimed climate change was her generations nuclear-free moment, and that a decent, affordable home was everyones right. It sounded great, but on both counts progress fell short of expectation and need. Later, she would capitulate on a full capital gains tax to help solve the housing crisis. That allowed coalition partner Peters to claim credit for the backdown.

But it would also be wrong if the lasting narrative was one of failure to deliver. Her governments Child Poverty Reduction Act now mandates reporting on progress towards poverty targets, bringing the problem into the engine room of fiscal policy. The Healthy School Lunches program helped reduce food insecurity.

Future governments will encounter strong political resistance if they try to rescind those measures.

Even those tireless advocates for children, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), gave Ardern qualified approval following her resignation although the truce didnt last long. CPAG was back on the attack when Stats NZ reported child poverty rates for the year ended June 2022 were unchanged compared with the previous year.

In the end, Ardern did not use the single-party majority she won in 2020 to fix the things shed wanted to fix. When her government saw a problem, its default setting was to say lets centralise it as if that would do. Good social democratic government was sidelined by bureaucratic shakeups in healthcare, education and (before the plan was cancelled) public broadcasting.

An elaborate structural reform of water services became mired in controversy over Mori co-governance and loss of local democratic control. The sixth Labour governments only potentially historic contribution to the development of New Zealands social security system a proposed unemployment insurance scheme was quietly shelved after criticism from both left and right.

So, will Ardern be remembered as one the great Labour leaders? To do so would put her in the pantheon of Michael Joseph Savage and Peter Fraser, who achieved so much in social security, healthcare and education, and who led the country through the second world war.

It would also place her next to Norman Kirk, whose 1972-75 government universalised accident compensation, introduced the domestic purposes benefit, and stood against French nuclear testing in the Pacific.

Its a high bar, but not unreasonable to make the case. Ardern broke through barriers for women, most notably giving birth to her daughter while she held office. She united the country after the mosque shootings, soothing what could have become a divisive moment. By listening to the scientific evidence and advice about COVID, she helped save countless lives.

Ardern will undoubtedly be remembered as one of Aotearoa New Zealands outstanding prime ministers. This may not be for reasons of her choosing, though. Once the disaster management is accounted for, there are no major lasting achievements for which her government will be cited in the history books.

What will be remembered is Arderns exemplary and highly effective leadership through COVID. Yet there is no kind pathway through an unkind pandemic. Nevertheless, Jacinda Ardern is owed gratitude for all that she did and acknowledgement of all she had to endure to get her nation through it.

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Jacinda Ardern says goodbye to parliament: how her politics of kindness fell on unkind times - The Conversation

New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern takes on a new role after leaving politics this week – NPR

Jacinda Ardern gives her farewell speech in parliament in Wellington on April 5. Mark Coote/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Jacinda Ardern gives her farewell speech in parliament in Wellington on April 5.

Welcome to the NPR series where we spotlight the people and things making headlines and the stories behind them.

In a rousing and, at times, personal farewell speech this week in parliament, Jacinda Ardern touched on family, politics and one of the very few things she will ask of her colleagues as she departs.

Who is she? The former prime minister of New Zealand.

Jacinda Ardern's final speech to New Zealand's parliament.

What's the big deal?

Ardern hugs a mosque-goer at the Kilbirnie Mosque on March 17, 2019 in Wellington, days after the attacks. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images hide caption

What is she saying? In her final speech this week, Ardern spoke of both her personal and political ambitions and achievements.

On describing herself as a "worrier":

Some might say the worst possible character trait to have as a politician, or the best depending on how you cut it.

I've always believed this to be a place where you can make a difference. I leave knowing that to be true ... And not only can you be here, you can lead just like me.

On climate change:

Climate change is a crisis. It is upon us. And so one of the very few things I will ask of this House on my departure is that you please take the politics out of climate change.

On her personal life:

I had not long experienced a failed IVF round when I became leader of the Labour Party. I thought that I had found myself on a path that meant I wouldn't be a mother. Rather than process that, I campaigned to become prime minister, a rather good distraction as far as they go. Imagine my surprise when a couple of months later I discovered I was pregnant.

So, what now?

Learn more:

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New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern takes on a new role after leaving politics this week - NPR

Harry, Meghan called toxic as Jacinda Ardern joins Prince William’s project – Hindustan Times

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were snubbed in favour of Prince William and Kate Middleton, according to a statement made by Diana's former butler. This statement comes to light after the Prince and Princess of Wales announced on Tuesday that the former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern would join the Board of Trustees on their Earthshot Prize project. (Also read: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle face negativity in US as Americans become 'weary' of them: Report)

Jacinda had announced her surprise resignation in January, and now on Tuesday, the outgoing New Zealand prime minister was named the latest member of Prince William's environmental initiative. This new appointment comes months after the former leader distanced herself from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their Netflix series, Live to Lead, which she appeared in.

"Her life-long commitment to supporting sustainable and environmental solutions, along with her experience as Prime Minister of New Zealand, will bring a rich infusion of new thinking to our mission. Four years ago, before The Earthshot Prize even had a name, Jacinda was one of the first people I spoke to, and her encouragement and advice was crucial to the Prize's early success. I am hugely grateful to her for joining us as she takes the next steps in her career," Prince William said on Jacinda's addition to the team.

Now speaking to GB News about Jacinda's decision to partner up with William and Kate over Harry and Meghan, Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell said, "Jacinda has seen that Harry and Meghan's world is becoming toxic and they are only celebrities. They are not ambassadors for the world and William and Kate are. Look at the difference between the two couples, one who worked tirelessly for Britain, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. And the other who just basically want to be as famous as possible and as rich as possible. So Jacinda's looking at the long game. She's looking at what she should do to help William and Kate, and that's the right decision."

Prince Harry and Meghan tied the knot in May 2018. They welcomed son Archie in May 2019, and daughter Lilibet in June 2021. Since Meghan and Harry announced in January 2020 that they would step down as senior working royals, they have been open about their life in the royal family. They were seen in the Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, which was released last year. Prince Harry also released his controversial memoir Spare earlier this year.

Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news.

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Harry, Meghan called toxic as Jacinda Ardern joins Prince William's project - Hindustan Times

Jacinda Ardern appointed trustee of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize – BBC

4 April 2023

Image source, Getty Images

Prince William said it was an honour to welcome Jacinda Ardern to Earthshot's board of trustees

Jacinda Ardern has been appointed a trustee of the Prince of Wales' prestigious environment award, Kensington Palace has confirmed.

Prince William said it was an honour to welcome the former leader of New Zealand to the Earthshot Prize.

Ms Ardern resigned in January saying she no longer had "enough in the tank" to lead the country.

The former prime minister said she was "humbled and excited to be working with the Earthshot team".

Speaking of the appointment, Prince William said Ms Ardern's "life-long commitment to supporting sustainable and environmental solutions" and her experience would "bring a rich infusion of new thinking to our mission".

"Four years ago, before the Earthshot Prize even had a name, Jacinda was one of the first people I spoke to, and her encouragement and advice was crucial to the prize's early success.

"I am hugely grateful to her for joining us as she takes the next steps in her career," he added.

The Earthshot Prize was created by Prince William to fund projects that aim to save the planet.

On joining Earthshot's board of trustees, Ms Ardern said since its creation she had believed in the prize's "power to encourage and spread not only the innovation we desperately need, but also optimism".

The former prime minister of New Zealand attended the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York in September 2022 where she spoke on behalf of Prince William, who had stayed in the UK following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth.

Image source, KENSINGTON PALACE/Reuters

Jacinda Ardern met Prince William at Kensington Palace during a visit to the UK in July last year

Chair of the board of trustees Christiana Figueres said she was "thrilled" to welcome Ms Ardern and had long been inspired by her "work as a catalysing force in the effort to combat climate change".

Since her resignation, Ms Ardern is also due to serve as an unpaid special envoy for the Christchurch Call, which she co-founded in 2019 to bring technology companies and countries together to combat extremism, according to Reuters news agency.

Prince William and Ms Ardern have met on numerous occasions, including when the former leader of New Zealand visited Kensington Palace during a visit to Britain in July last year.

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Jacinda Ardern appointed trustee of Prince William's Earthshot Prize - BBC

Jacinda Ardern joins The Earthshot Prize as a Trustee – Earthshot Prize

Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, is joining the Board of Trustees of Prince Williams Earthshot Prize.

Her commitment to sustainable development and climate action as Prime Minister of New Zealand strongly align with the optimistic ambition of The Earthshot Prize and its efforts to protect and restore our planet by 2030.

Speaking about the appointment, Prince William said:

It is an honour to welcome Jacinda to The Earthshot Prize team. Her life-long commitment to supporting sustainable and environmental solutions, along with her experience as Prime Minister of New Zealand, will bring a rich infusion of new thinking to our mission.

Four years ago, before The Earthshot Prize even had a name, Jacinda was one of the first people I spoke to, and her encouragement and advice was crucial to the Prizes early success. I am hugely grateful to her for joining us as she takes the next steps in her career.

Jacinda Ardern said:

I am humbled and excited to be working with the Earthshot team. Since its inception, Ive believed Earthshots power to encourage and spread not only the innovation we desperately need, but also optimism. Solutions are within our reach if we invest, support and accelerate them globally.

In September 2022, Ms. Ardern attended The Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York where she spoke on behalf of Prince William as he remained in the UK following the passing of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

She offered powerful remarks on the critical need for innovation to positively alter the course of our environmental trajectory and called on political leaders and the private sector to support and invest in solutions.

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Jacinda Ardern joins The Earthshot Prize as a Trustee - Earthshot Prize

Jacinda Ardern speech: New Zealand’s former prime minister delivers emotional final speech to Parliament: "You can be a mother … you can lead,…

Jacinda Ardern's tenure as prime minister of New Zealand has both sparked inspiration and stirred controversy. But in her final address to Parliament on Wednesday, she made one thing clear: She wants both of those perceptions, and any others, to show that anyone can lead, "just like me."

Ardern announced her resignation as prime minister in January and had her last day in that position on Feb. 7 after more than five years as the country's leader the youngest elected to the role in more than 150 years. She has served as a member of Parliament in the Labour Party since 2008.

And it was a role, she said Wednesday, "I never thought I was meant to have."

click to expand

"I was a worrier. I anticipated that everything that could go wrong, would some might say the worst possible character trait to have as a politician. Or the best, depending on how you cut it," she said. "While I convinced myself that you cannot be a worrier and be in this place, you can. You can be that person and you can be here. I'm sensitive, or as [former New Zealand Member of Parliament] Maggie Barry once called me, a precious petal."

Ardern's time as prime minister has served as one of inspiration for many women around the world as she was one of only a few women PMs and was only the second leader in the world to give birth while in office. She has strongly advocated for the rights of women and children throughout her tenure, and she took steps to protect the environment, including a ban on new permits for offshore oil and gas exploration.

She also received global praise for implementing strict gun control measures after the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019 that left 51 people dead.

"I've become used to my time as prime minister being distilled down into a different list," she said on Wednesday. "A domestic terror attack, a volcanic eruption, a pandemic a series of events where I found myself in people's lives during their most grief-stricken or traumatic moments."

A large part of the controversy during her tenure stems from her handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Ardern started implementing strict rules on how the country would handle COVID-19 as early as February 2020, just weeks after the world started learning of the virus' spread.

Ardern said Wednesday that she can't determine what will end up defining her time as prime minister, but that she hopes she's "demonstrated something else entirely."

"That you can be anxious, sensitive, kind and wear your heart on your sleeve," she said. "You can be a mother or not. You can be an ex-Mormon or not. You can be a nerd, a crier, a hugger. You can be all of these things and not only can you be here, you can lead, just like me."

Ardern will remain a member of Parliament for now and has already started branching out into new initiatives.

Earlier this week, it was announced that she will be joining the board of trustees for the Earthshot Prize, an initiative led by Britain's Prince William to help find and award people who are creating solutions to tackle environmental issues and the climate crisis.

"Four years ago, before The Earthshot Prize even had a name, Jacinda was one of the first people I spoke to, and her encouragement and advice was crucial to the Prize's early success," William said in the announcement. "I am hugely grateful to her for joining us as she takes the next steps in her career."

The same day that was announced, New Zealand's new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he has appointed Ardern to be the special envoy for Christchurch Call, a group of governments and organizations working to "eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online." In that role, which will begin on April 17, she will report directly to Hipkins.

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

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Jacinda Ardern speech: New Zealand's former prime minister delivers emotional final speech to Parliament: "You can be a mother ... you can lead,...

Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will donate clothing to Te Papa – New Zealand Herald

Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern smiling during her weekly post-Cabinet press conference at Parliament, Wellington in 2022. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Jacinda Ardern will donate a selection of her wardrobe and some of her personal notes to Te Papa, becoming the latest politician to donate her belongings to the museums collection.

In an interview with Newshubs Samantha Hayes last nightTuesday March 4, Ardern revealed she would be donating some of her more recognisable outfits to the Wellington institution, including the dress designed by New Zealander Juliette Hogan which Ardern wore while meeting Queen Elizabeth.

Ardern was heavily pregnant at the meeting in 2018 when she wore the floor-length gown with a korowai.

Also part of the collection is the blue and red floral dress designed by Kate Sylvester that she wore to be sworn in as Prime Minister in 2017, a maroon jumpsuit with an elasticated waist to accommodate her pregnant tummy while on an international trip, and the red blazer she wore when she became the leader of the Labour Party.

Throughout her political career, Ardern showed preference for local designers and sustainable brands, bringing Aotearoas fashion to the global stage.

The clothing items will join another item donated by Ardern to the museum - the tiny green knitted hat which her daughter Neve wore when she was first shown to the world at just 3 days old.

The hat is one of a number of knitted beanies donated to the neonatal intensive care unit and maternity service by a knitting group.

The white jumper Ardern wore while cradling her capped baby will be donated too.

Also already in the collection is the Carolyn Barker dress Ardern wore while being sworn into Parliament in 2008.

Alongside the clothing items, Ardern will also donate the notes she made the afternoon of the March 15 terror attack directly after learning of the Christchurch shooting, and the pens she and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters used to sign the documents for the coalition Government.

Ardern is not the only political figure to have clothing in Te Papa - Dame Jenny Shipley also donated her Peter Homan purple skirt suit and silver and pearl brooch which she wore while being sworn in as Prime Minister in 1997.

Shipley was the first female Prime Minister of New Zealand, and held the position for two years.

The Herald has contacted Te Papa for further comment.

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Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will donate clothing to Te Papa - New Zealand Herald

Jacinda Ardern | Biography, Facts, & Partner | Britannica

Recent NewsJan. 24, 2023, 6:21 PM ET - Jacinda Ardern formally resigned as New Zealand's prime minister, clearing the way forChris Hipkinsto besworn in. "I want you to know that I leave with a greater love and affection for Aotearoa New Zealand, and its people, than when I started," she said in her final speechas prime minister.

Top Questions

How did Jacinda Ardern become famous?

The charismatic Jacinda Ardern gained fame by leading a struggling New Zealand Labour Party to a surprising victory in the 2017 parliamentary election. She earned a reputation as a rock star politician on the way to becoming New Zealands youngest prime minister in more than 150 years at age 37. She resigned in January 2023, saying I no longer have enough in the tank.

Where did Jacinda Ardern grow up?

Jacinda Ardern, the second of two daughters raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spent her first years in Murupara, New Zealand, a small town known as a centre of Mori gang activity. Later, her fathera law enforcement officer who became the national governments high commissioner to Niuemoved his family to Morrinsville, southeast of Auckland.

Where did Jacinda Ardern go to school?

Jacinda Ardern received her primary and secondary education at schools in Morrinsville, southeast of Auckland on New Zealands North Island. She matriculated at the University of Waikato in Hamilton (also on North Island) in 1999, and she received a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies in 2001.

Jacinda Ardern, in full Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern, (born July 26, 1980, Hamilton, New Zealand), New Zealand politician who in August 2017 became leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and then in October 2017, at age 37, became the countrys youngest prime minister in more than 150 years. She resigned as prime minister in January 2023.

The second of two daughters born to a Mormon family, Ardern spent her first years in Murupara, a small town best known as a centre of Mori gang activity, where seeing children without shoes on their feet or anything to eat for lunch inspired her to eventually enter politics. Her fathera career law-enforcement officer who later (2014) became the New Zealand governments high commissioner to the island of Niuemoved his family to Morrinsville, southeast of Auckland on New Zealands North Island, where Ardern attended primary and secondary school. She matriculated to the University of Waikato in 1999.

Even before earning a bachelors degree in Communication Studies (2001), Ardern began her association with the Labour Party. In 1999, at age 17, she joined the party and, with the help of an aunt, became involved in the reelection campaign of Harry Duynhoven, a Labour member of parliament (MP) in the New Plymouth district. Following graduation, Ardern became a researcher for another Labour MP, Phil Goff. That experience would lead to a position on the staff of Prime Minister Helen Clark, the second woman to hold New Zealands highest office and Arderns political hero and mentor.

In 2005 Ardern embarked on an overseas experience, an extendedusually workingtrip to Britain, which is a traditional rite of passage for the children of New Zealands middle and upper class. Instead of labouring in a London pub or warehouse and then touring the Continent, however, Ardern worked for two and a half years in the cabinet office of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, serving as an associate director for Better Regulation Executive with the primary responsibility of improving the ways in which local authorities interact with small businesses. In 2007 she was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), a position that took her to destinations such as Algeria, China, India, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon.

In 2008 Ardern was chosen as Labours candidate for MP of the Waikato district, a seat that historically had been beyond the partys reach and that Ardern lost by some 13,000 votes. Nevertheless, she entered parliament as a list candidate. New Zealands mixed member proportional (MMP) election system allows candidates who run for a district seat also to be on a partys list of candidates, from which 49 MPs are chosen in proportion to the number of votes received by their parties. At age 28 Ardern entered the House of Representatives as its youngest member. In her maiden speech she called for the introduction of compulsory instruction in the Mori language in New Zealand schools and she castigated the New Zealand government for what she characterized as its shameful response to climate change. In addition to being named Labours spokesperson for Youth Affairs, Ardern was appointed to the Regulations Review and the Justice and Electoral select committees.

In 2011 she ran for the seat representing Auckland Central that was held by another of New Zealand politics brightest young stars, Nikki Kaye of the New Zealand National Party, who was just five months older than Ardern. Kaye narrowly (717 votes) won the race, dubbed the Battle of the Babes, but once again Ardern returned to parliament as a well-placed list candidate. Arderns support for David Shearer in his successful quest for Labour leadership won her a high profile assignment as Social Development spokesperson. In 2014 Ardern once again faced off with Kaye for the Auckland Central seat, this time losing by only 600 votes. Nonetheless, ensconced at the number five position on Labours list, Ardern easily returned to parliament. Labour leader Andrew Little expanded her portfolio to include positions as spokesperson for Arts, Culture, and Heritage, Children, Justice, and Small Business.

As Arderns political profile increased in prominence, the details of her personality and personal life became better known. Opposed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stand on homosexuality and same-sex marriage, Ardern became a lapsed Mormon. She gained notoriety by performing as a disc jockey. She was also involved in a romantic relationship with broadcast personality Clarke Gayford, who in 2016 became the host of Fish of the Day, a part-fishing, part-travel television program that took him to exotic island locales throughout the Pacific. Ardern bridled at media attention to her physical attractiveness, characterized herself as an acceptable nerd, and described her approach to life as relentlessly positive.

In 2017 Ardern registered a landslide victory in the parliamentary by-election for the vacant seat representing the solidly Labour district of Mount Albert in Auckland. When Labours deputy leader, Annette King, announced her resignation, Ardern was unanimously elected as her replacement. Meanwhile, as the general parliamentary election scheduled for September 2017 approached, Labours showing in preference polling was abysmal. Even after some nine consecutive years with the National Party in power, there was seemingly little interest among voters in trying Labour Party rule. A pair of polls in July found Labour Party support to be less than 25 percentsome 6 percent worse than the partys standing in a June polling. With fewer than two months left before the election, Little stepped down as leader but not before securing Arderns pledge to stand as his replacement (reportedly, she refused seven times before agreeing). Running unopposed, Ardern was elected leader on August 1.

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Jacinda Ardern | Biography, Facts, & Partner | Britannica

Jacinda Ardern makes final appearance as New Zealand leader – Los …

WELLINGTON, New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern made her final public appearance as New Zealands prime minister Tuesday, saying the thing she would miss most was the people, because they had been the joy of the job.

Ardern, who has been a global icon of the left, shocked the nation Thursday when she said she was resigning as leader after more than five years because she had nothing left in the tank. Labor Party lawmakers voted unanimously Sunday for Chris Hipkins to take over as prime minister, and he will be sworn in Wednesday.

Arderns final act as leader was to join Hipkins and other lawmakers attending celebrations at the Ratana meeting grounds, the home of an Indigenous Maori religious movement.

Ardern told reporters shed been friends with Hipkins for nearly 20 years and spent two hours with him on the drive to the meeting grounds. She said the only real advice she could offer was, You do you.

This is for him now. Its for him to carve out his own space to be his own kind of leader, Ardern said. Actually, theres no advice I can really impart. I can share information, I can share experiences, but this is now for him.

Ardern also addressed the wide discussion that has been going on since her announcement about the vitriolic and misogynistic attacks on her on social media something she has said did not contribute to her decision to step down.

Whilst there has been a bit of commentary in the aftermath of my departure, I would hate for anyone to view my departure as a negative commentary on New Zealand, Ardern said. I have experienced such love, compassion, empathy and kindness when Ive been in this job. That has been my predominant experience.

Hipkins told reporters that the leadership transition was bittersweet.

Obviously, Im really honored to be taking on the role, but as is well-known, Jacindas a very good friend of mine, he said.

At the meeting grounds, Ardern was greeted with embraces and songs. She told those attending she would leave the job with a greater love and affection for New Zealand and its people than when she started.

I didnt think that was possible, she said.

She said her colleagues were exceptional people.

I never did this job alone, Ardern said. I did it alongside these wonderful servants to New Zealand. And I leave knowing that you are in the best of hands.

Ardern plans to stay on as a member of parliament until April to avoid triggering a special election ahead of the nations general election in October. She said she was prepared for her new, relatively obscure role.

Im ready to be lots of things, Ardern told reporters. Im ready to be a backbench MP. Im ready to be a sister and a mom.

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Jacinda Ardern makes final appearance as New Zealand leader - Los ...

Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern – Prime Minister of New Zealand – NZ Labour Party

Jacinda Ardern is the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.

Born in Hamilton, Jacinda grew up in rural Waikato and attended Morrinsville College, before graduating from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Communications Studies in International Relations and Professional Communication. She joined the New Zealand Labour Party at age 18.

After university, Jacinda worked in a variety of roles across government and business, including as an advisor to Prime Minister Helen Clark, and in the Government Cabinet Office in London. She was elected to Parliament in 2008, becoming the MP for the Mt Albert electorate in 2017 and the Leader of the Labour Party later that year. She became Prime Minister in September 2017, and in 2018, she gave birth to her daughter, Neve.

During her time in Parliament, Jacinda has been a strong advocate for children, women and the right of every New Zealander to have meaningful work. She was responsible for the landmark Child Poverty Reduction Act, and has taken a lead on climate change through initiatives like the establishment of the Zero Carbon Act and the ban on future offshore oil and gas exploration in New Zealand.

As well as Prime Minister, Jacinda holds the roles of Minister for National Security and Intelligence, and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, an issue particularly close to her heart. She is also the Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services and Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.

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Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern - Prime Minister of New Zealand - NZ Labour Party

New Zealand will continue to cooperate with more assertive China …

New Zealand will continue to cooperate on shared interests with China, even as tensions increase in the region and China grows more assertive in the pursuit of its interests, Jacinda Ardern has said.

Speaking to the China Business Summit in Auckland on Monday, the prime minister said she was planning a trip to China to seize new opportunities for dialogue, support the trade relationship, and further cooperate on the climate crisis.

Even as China becomes more assertive in the pursuit of its interests, there are still shared interests on which we can and should cooperate, she said.

The prime ministers speech comes during a tense period for the Indo-Pacific, with western allies concerned about Chinas push for influence, particularly its proposed regional Pacific security deal. Ardern called for Beijing to respect and support the institutions that she said undergirded regional and international peace and stability.

Both New Zealand and China had been major beneficiaries of relative peace, stability and prosperity The rules, norms and institutions, such as the United Nations, that underlie that stability and prosperity remain indispensable, Ardern said, but are also under threat.

We see how much we have to lose should the international rules-based system falter, she said.

The speech was closely wedded to the party line of Arderns second-term governments foreign policy. The policy has emphasised respect, consistency, and predictability in dealings with China: essentially, that the government will continue to cooperate and work closely with China on mutually beneficial matters, particularly trade, while calling out differences typically on foreign policy and human rights.

That balancing act has, at times, been a difficult one to manage. New Zealand remains highly dependent on China for trade the country is its largest trading partner, accounting for 23% of total trade and 32% of goods exports.

But as Chinas economic importance to New Zealand has grown, ideological differences with Beijing have become increasingly stark, with reports of severe human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Beijings push into the Pacific and South China Sea, and erosion of democracy in Hong Kong.

In response to increasing tensions or risks in the region be they in the Pacific, the South China Sea, or the Taiwan Strait New Zealands position remains consistent we call for adherence to international rules and norms; for diplomacy, de-escalation and dialogue rather than threats, force and coercion, Ardern said.

Our differences need not define us. But we cannot ignore them. This will mean continuing to speak out on some issues sometimes with others and sometimes alone, she said.

We have done this recently on issues in the Pacific. We also have consistently expressed our concerns about economic coercion, human rights, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.

One of the prime ministers primary examples of faltering institutions and norms was Putins war on Ukraine, and she called on China to to be clear that it does not support the Russian invasion and to use its access and influence to help bring an end to the conflict.

Over the past year, the Pacific has become an arena for broader geopolitical competition: with increasing interest from China, the US has also been looking to beef up its connections and alliances in the region.

Following Arderns speech on Monday, the commander of the US military in the Pacific said he wanted to expand and strengthen its ties with New Zealand.

Adm John Aquilino, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, was in Wellington to meet top New Zealand defence force and government officials.

Our partnership runs very deep, Aquilino said. We are doing many things together to continue to ensure peace and prosperity for both of our nations and for all the nations in the region.

He said the leadership of Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific was critically important.

In June, the US signed Partners in the Blue Pacific, a cooperation agreement between Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, and US.

The United States has been a Pacific nation our entire life. We will continue to operate in the Pacific no matter what else you might hear, Aquilino said.

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New Zealand will continue to cooperate with more assertive China ...

Jacinda Ardern to travel to New York for UN meeting later this month – New Zealand Herald

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on a previous visit to New York. Photo / Supplied

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will fly to New York City later this month for an annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations, the UN General Assembly leaders' week.

The meeting was previously an annual fixture for New Zealand prime ministers, but Ardern has not attended in person since 2019.

This is not her first visit to New York since the pandemic, however - she visited earlier this year as part of her US trade mission.

Ardern will fly to the United States on Air New Zealand's inaugural direct flight between Auckland and New York's JFK Airport.

"I look forward to visiting the United States to meet with counterparts, and taking the opportunity to further promote New Zealand's reconnecting plan," Ardern said.

"It's an important opportunity to set out New Zealand's continued commitment to the multilateral system and international rules-based order. As the world continues to grapple with Covid-19, climate change, the Ukraine and geopolitical tensions, international co-operation is more important than ever," Ardern said.

While in the United States, she will co-host a Christchurch Call to Action Leaders' Summit, with French President Emmanuel Macron and participate in events to promote trade, investment, and tourism.

"I look forward to meeting with heads of state and global tech leaders to continue our important work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online," Ardern said.

Leaders typically use UN General Assembly as an opportunity to meet one-on-one on the sidelines of the main event.

Ardern has a number of these planned, although she has not announced with whom she will be meeting.

She will also deliver New Zealand's national statement at the General Assembly.

Ardern will also meet with the Motion Picture Association of America, a trade body representing the film industry, to promote New Zealand as a film destination.

She will also attend the launch of the Invest New Zealand campaign "Do Good, Do Well" alongside major US investment funds.

Ardern said Air New Zealand's new direct flight to New York was "an exciting step in reconnecting New Zealand with the world, and will bring a welcome boost for our tourism and other businesses".

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Jacinda Ardern to travel to New York for UN meeting later this month - New Zealand Herald

PM Jacinda Ardern won’t confirm whether Government planning to scrap mask mandates, says they’re under review – Newshub

Speaking with media on Friday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wouldn't confirm whether the Government was planning to scrap mask requirements but said they were being reviewed.

"We are reviewing our COVID rules so we have a regular process of looking at what our current case numbers are, pressure on our hospital system," Ardern said.

"We are also looking at our settings more broadly. We've been working with the traffic light system for upwards of a year now so now is the time for us to look at whether all those settings are fit for purpose. We include mask use in this analysis."

When asked why the disability sector was only given 24 hours to respond to the proposal to drop mask mandates, Ardern said she "cannot speak to that".

"We work on the process of receiving public health advice so that public health advice actually builds over quite a period of time.

"You might be speaking to a particular sector who may have been engaged by our departments as they work on our advice as they prepare for us. We have not formally concluded or received the formal advice yet."

Ardern said the Government is yet to decide whether to drop mask requirements because the final advice is still being considered.

She also offered assurances to the disability sector after industry leaders raised concerns about the impacts of removing mask mandates.

"The only thing I would say is that whenever we receive advice we do take into account the range of different interests in our settings and of course, they span from everything in our disability sector to those in our education sector, the business community, a range of interests," Ardern said.

"It is our job as a Government to factor all of those in alongside, of course, the public health advice.

"We are very aware of the concerns within our disability community and we have been throughout our COVID-19 management."

It comes after Ardern hinted earlier in the week the country might soon be moving to the green COVID-19 traffic light setting.

The Prime Minister revealed on Monday, Cabinet would review Aotearoa's traffic light settings and broader COVID-19 rules in a fortnight, with ministers considering whether to shift the country to the green setting.

"Obviously you will have heard us say that we are going to look at our settings post-winter and so that is what we are going to do," Ardern told reporters.

"We've got to make sure the frameworks we are working in are fit for purpose at any given time. We did that obviously with the alert level system and we will do the same [again]."

New Zealand is currently in the orange setting and has been for some time. But over the past few weeks, COVID-19 cases have been steadily dropping with just 2066 new community cases announced on Thursday.

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PM Jacinda Ardern won't confirm whether Government planning to scrap mask mandates, says they're under review - Newshub

She has the power! – The Tribune India

Mona

As Liz Truss is set to become the Prime Minister of Britain, she joins an impressive company of first women currently ruling as many as 18 countries. Recently, Droupadi Murmu becoming the 15th President of India makes for an inspiring story. The first-ever President from the tribal community, Murmu has overcome many challenges, personal as well as professional, to emerge as an inspiration to many across the globe. Celebs talk about their favourite women leaders and what makes them shine.

Flying high

While China, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Saudi Arabia along with the US, still await a woman president/prime minister/monarch, as many as 18 countries have women premiers. Sheikh Hasina is currently heading Bangladesh, Bidhya Devi Bhandari Nepal, Mette Frederiksen Denmark, Katerina Sakellaropoulou Greece, Jacinda Ardern New Zealand, Halimah Yacob Singapore and Samia Suluhu Hassan Tanzania, among others.

Know Liz Truss

Daughter of a mathematics professor and a nurse, Liz Truss is going to be third female Britain Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. Truss read philosophy, politics and economics at Merton College, Oxford. She started her political innings in student days and was president of Oxford University Liberal Democrats. Truss joined the Conservative Party in 1996. Married to accountant Hugh OLeary, they have two daughters.

Good leaders

Women are surely more capable of being good leaders. Women are emotionally stronger and understand things at the root level, which translates into effective leadership. My favourite is the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern. She joined the Labour Party at 18. And worked hard, growing step by step. She represented the youth as well. She worked actively to combat Covid-19 pandemic. Her sincerity is quite impeccable.

Delnaaz Irani, actor

Fresh perspective

Being at the forefront of Indian politics for decades, Indira Gandhi left a powerful but controversial legacy in Indian politics.

She is also the second longest-serving Indian Prime Minister after her father, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Women demonstrate superior leadership values with fresh perspective.

Jay Zaveri, actor

Learning curve

Michelle Bachelet, who served as the president of Chile is my favourite leader. She was the first female president of Chile. She instructed the government to lay away the gains when the price of copper, one of Chiles primary exports, reached its peak. Bachelet worked towards lowering poverty and enhancing early education prospects. It appears that women have a distinct advantage over men when it comes to leadership. However, male and female leaders can mutually benefit from one anothers expertise.

Nasirr Khan, actor

Likeable & logical

Former British PM Margaret Thatcher was one of the most powerful leaders and I admire her courage. And while many would have surrendered to societal pressure to choose a less difficult path, she continued heading straight for her aims.

The Iron Lady stood for uncompromising politics and her style of leadership was impeccable. She was viewed by her supporters as a revolutionary leader who restored Britains declining economy, and regained the nations status as a major power. Women tend to be likeable, straightforward and logical. And they probably take pride in leading, achieving goals and encouraging the development of others.

Nyrraa M Banerji, actor

Symbol of will

Women are stronger and fight back in every situation in life. They stand up to challenges each time. Our President Droupadi Murmu ji is my favourite leader among women.

She has endured so much in life, but still stood tall with dignity. People look up to me as an epitome of will and determination, but I look up to our President as a symbol of will, determination, courage and dignity. At the time when education was not given to adivasi women, she took up the cause and created a niche for herself, becoming the governor of Jharkhand. Now, as she is the President of this country, not only is it a great achievement but also truly inspiring for all the citizens.

Sudha Chandran, actor, dancer

#bangladesh #China #Droupadi Murmu #England #new zealand #Russia

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She has the power! - The Tribune India

Government outlines new laws to crackdown on hidden criminal wealth – Stuff

The Government has confirmed the new tools police will be given to help seize illicit assets of organised crime, which is expected to rake in $25 million each year.

As reported by Stuff on Monday morning, the Government plans to amend the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act to force associates of known criminals prove that they were able to afford their assets by legal means.

However, National says the Government is scrambling to deal with an out of control gang situation, and people are more worried about gun crime than stolen money being hidden in Kiwisaver accounts.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern provided more details on the measures during the post-Cabinet media conference on Monday, which she said would raise about $25 million per year.

READ MORE:* Government to toughen laws on illegally gained wealth of criminals* Bling-dripping drug dealer didn't claim three Harley-Davidsons * Hamilton stores count the cost after five raids in one night

The new laws aim to prevent organised crime figures form hiding their wealth by putting it in the names of associates. The changes are targeted at gangs in an attempt to ensure that crime doesnt pay.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke about new measures to crackdown on crime, at the weekly post-Cabinet press conference.

If someone is associated with an organised criminal group, and its suspected they couldnt have funded their assets legitimately, then they can now be required to prove to the court how they came to possess them or face having them seized, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said.

Currently, organised criminals structure their affairs to avoid their illicit assets being restrained and forfeited. This is done by creating distance between themselves and the assets by putting property into associates names, Allan said.

The new rules allow the official assignee a government agent who manages seized assets to hold onto them until the courts determine their future, rather than just for 28 days.

Abigail Dougherty/Stuff

Justice Minister Kiri Allan outlined changes to make it tougher to hide ill-gotten wealth.

A new court order will also be introduced meaning that criminals overseas who have assets in New Zealand could lose them in two months unless they provide proof they were obtained legally.

The Government also announced changes that will allow funds in KiwiSaver Scheme to be subject to civil forfeiture orders. This means criminals will not be able to hide illegal funds in KiwiSaver.

The Kiwisaver changes come after convicted fraudster Joanne Harrison was able to keep and access Kiwisaver funds that she had stolen from the Ministry of Transport.

However, National Partys justice spokesman Paul Goldsmith said the Government were scrambling to deal with an out of control gang situation, almost five years since coming into power.

Today's announcement will help, but it has to be part of a clear, consistent and forceful response to gangs. And we are just not getting that - we are getting very mixed messages, he said.

I think people are more worried about being shot at, than about gangs using KiwiSaver to salt money away.

The new policies are part of a suite being introduced by the Government next week to help to bolster its law and order credentials.

Labour has been under significant pressure from National and ACT parties for being soft on crime.

The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was passed in 2009. An illicit asset is an umbrella term for property derived from significant criminal activity.

Polices experience with criminal proceeds investigations tells us that use of intermediaries, third parties, relatives or friends are a feature of many cases now investigated, Police Minister Chris Hipkins said.

The steps taken today continue the Governments multi-faceted approach to tackling the harm caused by gangs and other organised criminal groups.

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Government outlines new laws to crackdown on hidden criminal wealth - Stuff

NZ government’s Working with Survivors continues cover-up of Pike River mine disaster – WSWS

On August 30, the New Zealand Labour Party government unveiled an 11-page document entitled Working with Survivors, outlining minimum expectations for state agencies dealing with survivors of large-scale catastrophic events, including both natural disasters and those caused by people.

Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes developed the guidelines in collaboration with a minority of the families of the 29 workers killed in the 2010 Pike River coal mine disaster. The authors also sought input from some survivors of the 2019 White Island volcanic eruption (in which 22 people died), the 2011 CTV building collapse in Christchurch (115 deaths), the 1995 Cave Creek scenic viewing platform collapse (14 deaths), the 1990 Aramoana mass shooting (14 killed) and the 2019 far-right terror attack in Christchurch (51 killed).

Those who took part in this consultation clearly feel strongly that something must change. While the circumstances of these events vary, in many cases the victims families have been disempowered, kept in the dark about official investigations, given inadequate financial and mental and physical health support, and frequently misled and lied to by those in power.

Working with Survivors, however, will not lead to any fundamental improvement, regardless of the hopes of those who made submissions. It is a product of the Labour-led government of Jacinda Arderna government dedicated to the defence of big business, in opposition to the interests of the working class, including the survivors of industrial and other disasters.

The document sets out three key elements to guide the response of state agencies to disasters: Empower survivors, Be upfront and Work together. These slogans are vaguely defined and open to interpretation.

Under the heading Be upfront, for example, the call for open and honest communication with survivors is qualified by the statement: Where it is not possible to provide certainty or to answer questions that have been asked, survivors are provided with an explanation and reasonable expectations are set. Of course, it is the government agencies which decide whether it is possible to release information and what constitutes reasonable expectations of transparency.

The fact that Labour presents its handling of the Pike River victims families, in particular, as the model for future cases, should be taken as a warning by all workers. It exposes the hollowness of the governments claims to be guided by the interests of survivors.

For nearly 12 years, the previous National Party government and current Labour Party government have buried crucial evidence in the underground mine and prevented the prosecution of the company leaders who placed profit ahead of workers safety and turned the mine into a death trap.

This was an entirely preventable disaster. A 2012 royal commission determined that it was caused by the companys pursuit of profit ahead of workers safety, and the regulators refusal to shut down the mine, despite numerous warnings about breaches of health and safety rules. The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) played a critical role in paving the way for the underground explosion: it refused to call strike action or even to speak publicly about the appalling conditions underground.

In the 2017 election, the Labour Party and its alliesthe Greens, NZ First, the Maori Partyall promised to re-enter Pike River mine to recover human remains and to look for evidence that could be used in criminal prosecutions. Late last year, however, the re-entry was aborted after workers had only explored the drift, or entry tunnel. The mine workings, where there is crucial evidence and bodies, have not been re-entered.

Minister for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little gave the main speech at the official launch of Working with Survivors. Little was the EPMU leader at the time of the explosion in November 2010, and his initial response was to cover up the companys safety record, saying there was nothing unusual about the mine.

Little falsely declared in his speech: A fundamental purpose of the Pike River re-entry was to give the survivors closure and promote accountability. That required every part of the project to be conducted in partnership with the Stand With Pike Families Reference Group (FRG) and the wider families.

In fact, nobody has been held to account and the families and wider working class have not received any closure, thanks to the actions of Little and his government in sealing the mine. The Minister ran roughshod over the objections of 22 of the 29 families, backed by international mining experts, who insisted that the mine workings should have been re-entered to examine the underground fan, suspected of sparking the first explosion, and to find human remains.

The Working with Survivors document falsely states that the FRG, established as part of the Pike River Recovery Agency, is an example of share[d] decision-making between the families and the government. This echoes Labours fraudulent 2017 election promise that the families would be consulted on every decision relating to the re-entry.

In reality, the FRG represented only a small minority of the Pike River families. It was led by three family membersAnna Osborne, Sonya Rockhouse and Rowdy Durbridgeplus two state-appointed advisors. When the FRG announced in March last year that families accept the governments decision not to re-enter the mine workings, the majority of the families immediately objected to this anti-democratic decision.

The most outspoken family members, who campaigned against the governments decision and sought to challenge it in the High Court, were not consulted on the development of the Working with Survivors framework. They include Carol Rose, whose son Stu died in Pike River mine, Dean Dunbar, whose son Joseph was killed, and Bernie Monk, whose son Michael died in the disaster.

We were totally excluded, Rose told the WSWS. So how can they base this on the Pike River families when only a select few of them have been chosen to take part?

Rose said she laughed out loud when she read an FRG email saying that the new standards will empower survivors by allowing them to walk alongside government agencies [and] the person leading or in control of the disaster will be straight up and honest.

Yeah, of course they will! Especially if theyve got a shitload of stuff to hide, Rose said. She summed up Working with Survivors as lip service and the government patting each other on the back.

In response to Littles statements, Monk said: The reason we took Andrew Little to court was he did not come to us to consult about sealing up the mine. Little put the FRG in place so he could use them as a tool to cover up what the government were trying to do.

Dunbar told the WSWS: It needs to be said that Andrew Little does not speak on behalf of the majority of the Pike River families, nor do Anna [Osborne] and Sonya [Rockhouse]. There was a deal made behind the backs of the majority of the families to pull the pin on the re-entry of Pike River, he explained, and warned that this speaks volumes about what to expect in future disasters. Anybody that got in the way of the sealing of that mine were absolutely ostracised, in every way, shape and form, Dunbar said. Every bit of information was cut off.

The Labour government used the Pike River families as pawns in the 2017 election, he said, adding that this is continuing today. After sealing the mine, the government was now trying to create an atmosphere of: We did our absolute best, we care about people, no stone was left unturned, etc.

At the launch of Working with Survivors, Prime Minister Ardern declared that while we cant always prevent catastrophic events, we can reduce the risks, and we must, and we can better support those who navigate a recovery after them.

The reality is that far from doing anything to reduce the risks to workers, the Ardern government has done the opposite. In the COVID-19 pandemic, it enormously increased the level of severe disease, hospitalisation and death by removing public health restrictions and allowing the virus to spread. About 2,000 people have died since the government abandoned its COVID elimination policy late last year, at the behest of big business, and adopted the let it rip agenda that has killed more than 20 million people worldwide.

As for industrial disasters, the Working with Survivors document takes for granted that there will be more events similar to Pike River, White Island and the CTV building collapse. The root cause of such events is the capitalist system and its intensifying drive for profit, at any cost, which is defended by all the parliamentary parties. The only issue for the state is how to suppress the anger that such events trigger, not only among survivors, but the working class more broadly.

A full account of the Pike River disaster and the campaign waged by the Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand in collaboration with the families of the miners killed is published as a book Pike River: The Crime and Cover-up available from Mehring Books Australia at https://mehring.com.au/product/pike-river-the-crime-and-cover-up.

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NZ government's Working with Survivors continues cover-up of Pike River mine disaster - WSWS

7 Women To Watch At The UN General Assembly – Forbes

Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley addresses the 76th session of the United Nations General ... [+] Assembly at UN headquarters on September 24, 2021 in New York. (Photo by JOHN ANGELILLO / various sources / AFP) (Photo by JOHN ANGELILLO/AFP via Getty Images)

The 2020 United Nations General Assembly was deemed the ultimate Manel by Fortune Magazine because the first day did not contain a single speech by a female politician. In fact, delegates had to wait until about the 50th time slot for the first female participant to deliver her speech. I think the General Assembly just always is a inordinately male affair, isn't it? Richard Gowan, the U.N. expert at the Crisis Group, said.

While the number of women attending the assembly hasnt risen significantly, women are claiming earlier speaking slots and will likely have an impact on the proceedings of the discussions. This year Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova is in the 14th time slot, a far cry from the 50th time slot that women leaders had to wait for in 2020.

Topics-wise, Ukraine will likely remain at the top of the list, but the General Assembly also tends to offer a few surprises. Many female leaders in Europe have been setting the tone on the war in Ukraine, and as such, female politicians could be at the center of this years debate. There are also new faces that will come, and some movers and shakers.

The following list is based on both a provisional list of speakers and the independent confirmation of U.N. diplomats. The list of leaders attending is likely to change.

Here are a few names to watch out for:

Mia Mottley of Barbados

Wherever the Barbadian prime minister Mia Mottley goes, she tends to draw peoples attention. That was certainly the case in New York City last year, when the Caribbean leader made headlines for delivering a Bob Marley-inspired speech on climate change.

Mottley is a confirmed speaker at the debate this year and Richard Gowan expects nothing less this time around: she has proved highly effective at seizing the headlines, he said of Mottley. I imagine that we will hear her articulate the concerns of developing countries over the inadequate U.N. response to climate change and the challenges of the global food crisis, or other divisive issues probably in a pretty powerful fashion again.

Mottley has fundamentally changed her countrys political trajectory since her last U.N. speech as she recently transformed Barbados into a Republic. As such, it is worth watching her speech to see if she mentions the British crown or even just to hear which reggae song she could use as a rallying cry this time.

Then-Britain's Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss delivers a speech during the 49th session of the UN ... [+] Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, on March 1, 2022. (Photo by SALVATORE DI NOLFI / various sources / AFP) (Photo by SALVATORE DI NOLFI/KEYSTONE/AFP via Getty Images)

Liz Truss of the United Kingdom

Liz Truss still has a pretty significant hurdle to overcome before making it to the U.N. General Assembly: she must win the leadership race of the Conservative Party next Monday. However, she is by far the favorite and if she does indeed win, she can expect to be in the spotlight at the General Assembly. I think one thing to listen out for in her speech is what she says about China. She is known to be extremely hawkish on China and she sees China as a sort of a challenge to the UK on par with Russia, according to Gowan, adding that chances are high that she will also use the U.N. podium to once again try to justify Brexit

A U.N. diplomat confirmed that it is expected that the new UK government delegation will be led by the new Prime Minister. Truss has attended the high-level week in New York City before as foreign secretary.

If she does speak on behalf of the country later this month, diplomats and expert can probably expect a change of tone and delivery style from her predecessor, Boris Johnson. There is a contrast to Johnson who used to make very jokey speeches in New York. In his speech last year, for instance, Johnson surprised the world by mentioning Kermit the frog in front of a room full of dignitaries while talking about climate change. Truss is much more straight down the line, Gowan adds, some would say she has a slightly wooden political performance but there'll be a focus on her.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 22: Moldova's President Maia Sandu addresses the United Nations ... [+] General Assembly on September 22, 2021 in New York City. More than 100 heads of state or government attended the session in person, although the size of delegations are smaller due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by Justin Lane- Pool/Getty Images)

Maia Sandu of Moldova

When Maia Sandu was elected President of Moldova in 2020, she probably didnt expect to be dealing with an existential threat while in office. But that is what is happening as her small, land-locked country, a neighbor of Ukraine, is perceived as a potential future target of the Kremlin, or at least in its sphere of influence.

A representative from Moldovas ministry of foreign affairs confirmed that Sandu will attend the event. Sandu's overall rapprochement with the West and her move to join the EU is now central to Moldovas foreign policy, and the question is how she's going to use her platform at the U.N. podium to continue that work. She'll certainly get extra attention, Gowan said, given that there have been a lot of concerns through the course of the year that Moldova could be collateral damage in the Russian-Ukrainian war. She will certainly be out there making the case for Moldova to get the maximum amount of aid and the maximum amount of European support.

TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS - NOVEMBER 28: Xiomara Castro, President of Honduras.

Xiomara Castro of Honduras

Xiomara Castro is a somewhat familiar political figure at the U.N. and in her home country of Honduras, but she is new to the role of president. The former First Lady became President a few months ago, following the path of her husband, Manuel Malaya, who led Honduras from 2006 to 2009 before being ousted by a coup. As the first woman President of Honduras, Castro is poised to set the agenda for her country's diplomacy at the U.N. Local newspaper La Prensa confirmed the news of her attendance on Thursday.

For Gowan, Castros approach to the U.N. is rather different from that of many other developing countries, which will make her speech worth watching. Honduras is interesting because it has asked the U.N. for help and it hasnt received a lot of attention in New York at all, he said. At a time when a lot of governments, whether its Mali or Myanmar, are doing everything to keep the U.N. out of their business, she could actually make quite a compelling case about why the U.N. can actually help states with their domestic problems. Honduras has asked last February the U.N. to help the country fight corruption.

Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia waits to speak during the 74th Session of the General ... [+] Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York on September 26, 2019. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia

With more than 20 million food insecure people and a war still ravaging the Tigray region, Ethiopias President, Sahle-Work Zewde has a lot on her plate. Given that the war is resuming after an extended truce, if the President comes, she will in a pretty ugly position having to defend the return to conflict, Gowan said.

While her role is ceremonial, she is a former high-level official of the U.N., and as such she understands the ins and outs of the institution.

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova addresses the general debate of the 76th session of the United ... [+] Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 21, 2021. The General Debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly kicked off on Tuesday. (Photo by Wang Ying/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Zuzana Caputova of Slovakia

The Slovak President is enjoying a lot of firsts this year: She is, as of now, the first woman and the first EU leader to speak at the debate.

Because Slovakia is a member of both NATO and EU and a neighbor of Ukraine, her prime-time spot could allow her to set the tone for debate on Russia and Ukraine.

Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and National Security ... [+] and Intelligence of New Zealand holds her daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, as her partner Clarke Gayford looks on during the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit September 24, 2018, one a day before the start of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York. (Photo by Don EMMERT / AFP) (Photo by DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)

Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand

New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern already made U.N. history in 2018 by bringing her then-baby Neve to the U.N. compound. Ardern recently signed an op-ed warning the world of the danger of a nuclear catastrophe surrounding the war in Ukraine, and how it affects the Pacific region. She declared a climate emergency in her country in 2020, and Ardern could be heading to New York with a similar message for the world this time around - with or without young Neve.

Ardern confirmed in a press release that she will travel to New York for the event, and she said: Its an important opportunity to set out New Zealands continued commitment to the multilateral system and international rules based order. As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19, climate change, the Ukraine and geopolitical tensions, international cooperation is more important than ever. Its going to be Arderns first time attending the high-level week in New York since 2019.

She will also co-host, alongside Frances president Emmanuel Macron, the Christchurch Call to Action Leaders Summit that will take place on Sept. 20. The Call to Action is a meeting between tech and world leaders that will work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.

This story has been updated to reflect New Zealands priorities at the U.N. General Assembly

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7 Women To Watch At The UN General Assembly - Forbes

School lunches: Mum’s photo of school lunch shows what some school kids are offered – New Zealand Herald

The free school lunch provided at one North Island school had parents wondering what it was. Photo / Supplied

A mother has shared a photo of her daughter's supplied school lunch saying it was so disgusting she couldn't figure out what it was.

The photo, sent to the Herald, appears to be a bread roll with onion, corn, and other fillings wrapped in tinfoil.

"She brought it home and I thought 'if that is what they are getting at school I'm not surprised they are getting thrown out'," said the woman, who didn't want to be named.

"I opened it up and I tried to pull it apart to figure out what it was.

''I couldn't even get the bun apart. I'm still not sure if it was a sandwich or a burger. It was really disgusting."

The lunch was served at school two weeks ago.

"My daughter ended up with her friend's lunch as well because she wouldn't eat it either.

"It was pretty disgusting so I took a photo and threw it out."

The teenage girl is at a central North Island school where lunches, fruit and milk are supplied.

The mother contacted the school and the office of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and emailed the photo to them.

"I heard back from Jacinda's people straight away and they said it wasn't acceptable and they would look into it."

The woman was also told to email the Ministry of Education which she did.

"I got an email back from them and even they couldn't figure out what it was. I haven't heard anything back since."

The email from the ministry read: "We have scaled up the monitoring of the supplier to your daughter's school as a result of your feedback, and will be working with the supplier to understand what quality control processes they currently have in place, and what they need to implement to improve their provision.

"If we do not see adequate improvement in the lunch quality this term we will look to a formal improvement process as a next step."

Yesterday the Herald revealed the staggering amount of food thrown out each day because of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme.

Individual suppliers are contracted by schools that are part of the programme.

In July 2020, the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) was tapped for $216 million, to expand the school lunch programme from a pilot scheme.

In 2021, a further $515.8m was allocated from CRRF to extend the provision of free school lunches until the end of 2023.

One Northland parent said lunches were hit and miss with children describing lunches as 'gross, stale, soggy, dry and tasting yuck'.

This was no surprise to the central North Island mum who said she had started packing lunch for her daughter again because the meals were so bad.

"I just give her a sandwich, some home baking and some chips or crackers because they get fruit at school.

"At least I know she will eat it rather than go hungry because of the lunches in schools."

According to the Ministry of Education website the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches funds a million lunches each week.

In the two years to August 2022 more than 63 million lunches have been delivered in 950 schools and kura to over 220,000 learners.

Some schools have opted out of the programme and some supply their own lunches prepared on site.

For many, the programme has been a huge success - depending on the contracted supplier.

Principals at those schools said pupils are more focussed, settled and enjoy bonding over the same lunch.

Leftover lunches were shared with the immediate community and whanau of pupils.

Rachel King who owns lunch provider, Kainui Brunch Shack, said success was about providing a choice and variety and listening to what the children wanted.

Parents from the two schools she provides lunches to can go online the night before and choose what lunches they wanted.

The food boxes arrived the next day with food ranging from wraps, sandwiches, a hot meal, and always a muffin or baking, fresh fruit, and either milk or water.

"The kids can choose what they want and if there is something they don't like there are other options," King said.

King said the lunches are tasty and nutritious and she sources much of her produce from local growers, a marae, and suppliers at the Mngere Markets.

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School lunches: Mum's photo of school lunch shows what some school kids are offered - New Zealand Herald

Ardern horrified as New Zealand faces record housing crash – MacroBusiness

Goldman Sachs has released modelling on New Zealands housing market, which forecasts huge declines in both dwelling construction and house prices on the back of the Reserve Bank of New Zealands (RBNZ) aggressive monetary tightening, alongside the lagged impact of macroprudential tightening.

Goldman notes that mortgage rates have risen, although the impact of this increase on most households wont fully realise until mid-2023, given the majority of mortgages in NZ are on 1-2 year fixed terms. In turn, these rate hikes have significantly reduced mortgage demand:

Activity in new construction has also slowed, with Goldman tipping building consents to fall by around 30% from peak-to-trough by end-2024, before stabilizing at around 2019 levels. In turn, Goldmans base case is that residential investment will peak in 2H2022, before falling by around 13% by late 2024.

New Zealand dwelling prices have already fallen by 11% from the 4Q2021 peak (with Auckland prices down 16% from peak), whereas sales volumes have eased to levels last seen in 2011. And Goldman believes that dwelling prices will continue to decline alongside higher mortgage rates. It therefore, now expects a peak-to-trough price decline of around 20-25% before stabilizing around late 2023 or early 2024.

The forecast 20-25% decline in New Zealand house prices based on the REINZ house price index would be the largest on record (see right-side chart directly above), surpassing the 2008-09 Global Financial Crisis crash.

It would also arrive just in time for next years election, and could see Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern thrown out of office.

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also Chief Economist and co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.

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Ardern horrified as New Zealand faces record housing crash - MacroBusiness

PM Jacinda Ardern says soft on crime claims ‘just wrong’ as former detective hails NZ Police’s international reputation – Newshub

But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and a former detective disagree.

Speaking with AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green, Jacinda Ardern said accusations from the Opposition and others the Government is soft on crime are unfair.

"Let's just look at the bare facts. None of the penalties, none of the consequences for these crimes have changed. So this idea that somehow there is this weakening is just wrong," Ardern told AM on Monday.

"In fact what you've got to consider is that what we are doing differently is not just dealing with the consequences, if you offend in this country you must be held to account.

"So that's what Operation Tauwhiro and Operation Cobalt. They're all about an approach that is really focused on cracking down on organised crime and some of the reason you see that focus is because we've invested in additional police, including an extra 700 to work on those areas. We've seen over 1000 arrests, forfeiture of assets and so on.

"At the same time, we also need to prevent people from entering organised crime in the first place so you have to do both."

It is a sentiment shared by Australian-based police lecturer and former detective Michael Kennedy, who told AM on Monday that New Zealand's approach to policing is right.

"New Zealand has got an excellent reputation worldwide in terms of its policing. It doesn't overreact, there are no knee jerk responses, they're usually really responsible and New Zealand, generally speaking, has a good reputation within the criminal justice area of dealing with people."

Kennedy said internationally nobody considers New Zealand as being soft on crime.

"It seems to me New Zealand beats itself up a little bit but you're doing a really good job over there," he said. "I don't think anyone considers you a soft touch, I think there's a big balance here in social justice.

"We've moved in the last few years where everyone talks about the victims but social justice is about victims, it's about witnesses and it's about ensuring people get a fair trial And New Zealand has got the right formula there."

It comes after the Government announced on Sunday a $600 million package aimed at addressing the spate of crimes currently ripping through New Zealand. The Government said it will see an increase in police numbers, nearly $100m to tackle gang violence and an extension to rehabilitation programmes.

More than $562m over four years will be invested in the police, the Government said.

Police are also planning to launch a dedicated operation across Auckland, with smaller teams across Aotearoa, to tackle growing gang violence and intimidating behaviour. It's been dubbed 'Operation Cobalt' and will begin in June.

That follows Operation Tauwhiro, which was extended by six months late last year. Operation Tauwhiro focussed on disrupting firearms-related violence by gangs.

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PM Jacinda Ardern says soft on crime claims 'just wrong' as former detective hails NZ Police's international reputation - Newshub