Joining the league of young and charismatic leaders like Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron, Jacinda Ardern was sworn in as New Zealand’s youngest Prime Minister on 26 October 2017. After the ground-breaking victory, she addressed the masses and promised to tackle climate change, eradicate poverty, and improve the lives of country’s most vulnerable people.
Ardern in her first comments as Prime Minister shared with AsiaOne News that hers would be an “active” government that would be “focused, empathetic and strong”.
Hailing a crowd of several hundred well-wishers in front of the parliament during the ceremony in Wellington with other senior lawmakers, Ardern said, “I want to start by saying it is an enormous privilege and an honor to stand with these wonderful people here in front of you today, in front of your house with your government, I want to put emphasis on the word ‘your’ government.”
According to AsiaOne Magazine, the only pan-Asia Business magazine, Ardern’s cabinet chose to take their oaths in Te Reo (Maori language), including the corrections minister, Kelvin Davis, minister for Maori development Nanaia Mahuta, women’s minister and Greens MP Julie Anne Genter, who is a native of the US. Genter’s effort to deliver the oath in the Maori language was wildly appreciated by her colleagues and by the people on the social media.
As per AsiaOne Magazine archives, Ardern was elected leader of the Labour party less than three months ago when the former leader Andrew Little tanked in the polls, and she was picked as the only hope for the beleaguered party to enter government. Ardern’s throttling campaign saw her pick up 352,000 more votes than the party had in 2014, and though she said she had hoped to do better, with the Green Party it was enough to nudge at National’s heels.
Further, as per AsiaOne Magazine archives, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern entered Parliament in 2008, aged 28, and was then the youngest MP in Parliament. She had just returned from London, where she had spent time working for British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Prior to that, a young Ardern had also worked as an adviser to the Labour Government in the offices of Phil Goff and Helen Clark.
Jacinda Ardern is a vocal feminist, a mental health advocate and an activist for children’s rights and LGBTQ rights, having already called out issues like women’s health as one of her prominent policies for the campaign. She is probably one of the coolest leaders and one for the coming of the age, PM Ardern has also spoken about mental health issues at various occasions and about her own battle with anxiety.
Taking over the electoral campaign, Ardern launched her slogan for the Labour Party, “Let’s do this” and it became widely popular, spreading the Jacindamania among the natives.
Ardern has promised to make significant changes in the nation of nearly 5 million people, including banning foreign buyers from purchasing homes, holding a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana, and reducing immigration.
She has also outlined an ambitious environmental agenda. From planting trees to running electricity from renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero are the outlines of her agenda 2050.
AsiaOne Magazine 