Jacinda Ardern to step down as New Zealand PM

It's hard, impossible really to have a considered view on Ardern from this far away. The reality is NZ is a small country on the other side of the world that rarely makes news here, so a lot of the views on her leadership are driven by what she is rather than how she led.

With this in mind, I've no opinion on her - and I doubt many posters here on this thread could give comprehensive analysis of the way she led NZ, despite having views - mainly centred around being a woman leading in politics.

I wish her well.

Jacinda.

Can't say that I know too much about her, other than she had the ability (whether she wanted it or not) to wind up idiot dickheads.

Strange she's choosing to step down though, when most politicians have to be pushed.

I don't know anything about her except she was in favour of the so-called "mandates" which I'm strongly against and this is also partly the reason she is well liked by pro-mandate people here.

There have been women leaders all throughout history Boudicca, Isabella of Castile, Queen Mary, Elizabeth, Catherine the Great etc., etc. It doesn't merit constant comment in my opinion, feminism didn't invent women.

This thread is one of the better examples for shutting down social media.

6 weeks , while contactable throughout ? . I've seen people take more time off for a hernia !

You are really fishing here..

I don't think it matters

Though people are taken in by the idea of the modern technocratic leader who is supposedly "running" the country 24/7. But a country isn't a top-down machine anyway.

Besides which deputy leaders can step in and out if they need to.

That's true , and that is why the subject of her taking 6 weeks off to have a baby is entirely irrelevant. It is enshrined in equality legislation the world over , so that parents cannot be penalised for spending much needed and healing time with their children .

How do you know she CHOSE to become pregnant ? Wow you really have the inside track here . Is that in another one of those conspiracy rags that you have been reading ?

And it is none of your business whether she chose or not , as it is a human bodily right .

People can choose to have elective surgery and take time off from their job and men do all the time,as do women.

I got you right the first time . Its whataboutery to everyone else calling out misogyny on your part .

You didn't even answer my questions about those comments you made earlier , or to the other 2 posters .

It's this trolling that is aimed at people in public service , not just women , that has people leaving in droves .

Why should anyone read your posts and take anything you say seriously when you make ridiculous comments , and then refuse to explain what you mean?

You know there are people everywhere having babies , breastfeeding back at work , taking time off for paternity leave as well and still fully functioning members of society and continuing successfully in their chosen careers .

It is your mindset that has caused problems for our country in the past and thanks to equality legislation the people that still think this way are finding it cold out there on the ledge .

That is why they congregate on social media with their other little buddies to try and bully and troll anonymously anybody who represents a more liberal agenda. Anything to feel powerful.

That is why this thread on a fairly innocuous hardworking woman politician attracts this sort of pathetic comment above . ( first quote , for reference ) .

I trust your company is entirely predictable as is who's not.

The truth is the majority of posters on thread have no idea where she or her government stood on the standard policy areas that concern citizens (without looking them up). Yet have a strong opinion on her.

From reporting today, it appears her party are predicted to take a pasting in the next GE, even while she remains personally popular. Should such an event have come to pass, it's unlikely she would have remained leader of her party. In effect, she jumped before she was pushed, thus ensuring her reputation was not damaged by a poor election.

That it itself shows strategic thinking.

She was losing support through unpopular domestic policy.

Her male predecessor also did the exact same thing as she's just done.

She's popular outside of NZ because she's female, and she was zero tolerant when Covid struck, and people liked that policy at that time.

If you think totalitarian China was bad!

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/08/17/asia/new-zealand-lockdown-one-case-intl-hnk/index.html

I definitely asked you a question, I never suggested anything. So if she were a male politician it would be fine to have a child but because she is female and must take 6 weeks leave it is unacceptable? Or should all political leaders refrain from intercourse while in office, or just the women? Please explain your rules for leadership.

'She did it for media likes' might not be the ugliest post of the thread, but it's surely the thickest.

No. It shows she’s utterly spineless and self serving. A real leader would stand with his/her team no matter what. Be willing to own and stand over their decisions to the electorate.

Either way it’s great to see her fail. As no doubt kiwis agree- else they’d be re electing her

The international media thought NZ zero covid was great. All the people I know living there thought after a few months it was madness. That was the final straw for a lot of NZ people with Arden.

After a certain point common sense dictated that they'd have to open up to the world and accept living with COVID, but she ploughed on with it till the end of 2021. Only China went on longer?

If the world is hit by some other global catastrophe that kills millions of people and completely changes the way everyone has to live, yet NZ uniquely manages to navigate it with minimal casualties and minimal impact, then the guy born in the 60s would come to be quite well known too.