Ardern to step down February

[Outsider]

I knew she would do this because why would she want 4 more years of all the things she's had to deal with. She's the same age as my son and younger that my daughter, so if she was my daughter I would be so proud of her. Unfortunately I don't think she had good enough people behind her. I wish her all the best in the future but no idea what will come next. Neither party inspires me leading up to the next election - maybe we can entice a real leader back from overseas?

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Good on her. Some things are more important than politics, careers, international fame, travel, publicity and all the other crap she has handled so beautifully.

[Zurdo]

I'm happy for her on a personal level, now she can enjoy her family...it must've been so hard, being a new mother, and a new Prime Minister, hopefully she can get her life back.

Of course all the right wing nut jobs know she stepped down because of their campaign of hate against her.

Wow, she was a breath of fresh air in a polluted environment, and there is no one in any party with any hope of bring something fresh to the table of stale boring fare.

[Lilith7]

Te Pāti Māori has responded with grace and gratitude (unlike ACT) and the party has gone up in my estimation. 

"Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was “driven from politics” because of “constant personalisation and vilification” in what Te Pāti Māori labelled the most “demeaning form of politics we have ever seen”.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer pulled no punches in her reaction to Ardern’s shock resignation and said the Prime Minister’s “whānau have withstood the ugliest attacks over the last two years”.

“Te Pāti Māori wishes to thank the outstanding contribution Jacinda Ardern has made to our country,” Ngarewa-Packer said.
"

Yep, given the really nasty misogyny which has been exhibited towards her its amazing she lasted this long; its the type of viciousness from some which can be difficult to deal with.

[king1]

Im looking forward to a new government 

either way it will be a 'new' government...

[C_T_Russell]

I knew she would do this because why would she want 4 more years of all the things she's had to deal with. She's the same age as my son and younger that my daughter, so if she was my daughter I would be so proud of her. Unfortunately I don't think she had good enough people behind her. I wish her all the best in the future but no idea what will come next. Neither party inspires me leading up to the next election - maybe we can entice a real leader back from overseas?

I was quite happy with jacindas first term. She had the guidance from Winston Peter's and at the same time he was able to hold her back from doing extreme things, it was bad enough with some of the lockdown measures, but largely most of us were happy, unfortunately she got all the credit and most of us silly kiwis all voted her in with a majority, now look whst we were left with.

Im looking forward to a new government 

either way it will be a 'new' government...

Will be for better or worse, I hope for the better.
New Zealanders need to seriously study who they vote for this election, NZ depends on it!

[harm_less]

either way it will be a 'new' government...

Will be for better or worse, I hope for the better.
New Zealanders need to seriously study who they vote for this election, NZ depends on it!

One thing is for sure, if Luxon, Seymour, etc get the top job and receive the sort of toxic crap that has been metered out on Jacinda it will absolutely destroy them, Muller style.

[Zurdo]

But they're men, it won't happen to the extent it did to Jacinda.

[king1]

But they're men, it won't happen to the extent it did to Jacinda.

oh you're not suggesting there was some kind of misogynistic male agenda... because some men couldn't stand having a woman in power.  Surely society has evolved past that, surely...

[Zurdo]

Helen Clark's statement.

Rt Hon Helen Clark - Statement on Resignation of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. 19 January 2023. It was with deep sadness that I received the news on waking in Europe this morning that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is stepping down. During almost five and a half years as Prime Minister, Jacinda has done an extraordinary job in leading New Zealand through major crises, delivering on a large social policy agenda aimed at rebuilding opportunity and fairness, presiding over an economy which has performed better than most of its peers in challenging global circumstances, and positioning New Zealand as a country which stands for international co-operation and decent values. The pressures on Prime Ministers are always great, but in this era of social media, clickbait, and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country. Our society could now usefully reflect on whether it wants to continue to tolerate the excessive polarisation which is making politics an increasingly unattractive calling. Much will be written about Jacinda’s substantial and significant legacy. For now, I express my gratitude to Jacinda for the humanity and empathy she brought to leadership, and wish her and her family well for the next chapters of their lives.

[harm_less]

But they're men, it won't happen to the extent it did to Jacinda.

oh you're not suggesting there was some kind of misogynistic male agenda... because some men couldn't stand having a woman in power.  Surely society has evolved past that, surely...

The SM madding crowd will search out whatever they consider a weakness in the target of their vitriol. For Jacinda the misogyny was definitely there and I'd risk a guess that Grant Robertson could see a weakness in his sexual orientation in that respect. As much as I'd like to see Kiri Allan have some time in the top spot but her gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation would make it a potentially unpleasant choice despite the robust front she presents.

Chris Hipkins may be the safe option for Labour but but don't know that he has enough 'mongrel' for the position. 2023 is going to be even rougher than it already was going to be I suggest.

Also worth noting that Jacinda said that CGT was not going to happen while she was PM so does that mean it's now back on the table?

[zqwerty]

As long as we don't get the type of bitter and twisted older men we've always had in power so far I will be happy but I'm not holding my breath.

Jacinda was a wonderful Labour leader the best we've ever had in my time in NZ. (50 years)

It's a disgrace that she feels it necessary to step down and proof that NZ is full of nutters, how could any reasonable person not like her wonderful personality and her quick wit and command of the English language, mostly just national party (lower case deliberate) small business types who think that making money is the reason for living.

How lovely it was to have a fresh-faced person who was enjoying life running things rather than the awful money-grubbers we've had running the country as if it's nothing more than a large business only existing to make money.

They just seem to want to turn everyone's life into a rat-race when we know that the eventual end result will be the complete breakdown of the eco-system and the devastation of our civilization.

[Foal30]

But they're men, it won't happen to the extent it did to Jacinda.

oh you're not suggesting there was some kind of misogynistic male agenda... because some men couldn't stand having a woman in power.  Surely society has evolved past that, surely...

In my experience ( as an old man) things are better But:
Ardern faced a section of opponents who really are misogynistic pricks

I’d be ok with Kiri Allan putting her hand up for the leadership. The same ‘people’ who hacked into Ardern would double down on Allan but this should not mean it’s a bad idea for her too stand.

Change won’t come from letting the feral 3% away with their braying.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Liar? She's no liar. At the time she made the statement she had no intention of stepping down. She has changed her mind. So what? We are all entitled to do that, even prime ministers...

[harm_less]

Liar? She's no liar. At the time she made the statement she had no intention of stepping down. She has changed her mind. So what? We are all entitled to do that, even prime ministers...

My take on the situation is that the Xmas break away from parliament gave her the opportunity to reevaluate what her effects her PM ship was having on her and her family. That realisation of her circumstances worsening as she embarked on an election campaign resulted in a decision to prioritise herself and her family. No different to any individual that overnight makes the decision to exit their employment, lifestyle or marital situation. Jacinda had just reached her limit of dealing with the negative aspects of her position and their effect on her life. She can walk away from the toxicity with her head held high knowing she gave 110% to NZers in what were unprecedentedly difficult circumstances.

[zqwerty]

The more I think about Jacinda feeling so bad about how she has been treated that she feels she should step down or is in some way inadequate, the more I find myself seething with anger at the stupidity of the people who have used words to create the illusion that someone else could have done better in the last five years than she did.

They are obviously stupid and have some sort of axe to grind. Any well-meaning person can see that she was a wonderful person to steer NZ and looking at who we have on offer, ie proto-nazi Luxton et al we are going to be in for some dark days getting increasingly darker as world events add up. (Global Warming, over-population). We were all very lucky to have her for the time that we have had as our leader.

This idea that in the end we are all going to get to some sort of earthly heaven if we only get things right is so naive and anyone who has the idea that a variation of economic boom is going to make life so much better needs to wake up.

The situation is that no matter who leads things are probably going to get worse and the best we can hope for is for things to continue as they have with the occasional glitch every now and again which takes us all by surprise, ie Covid.

Whoever our new leader is they won't have the zest and verve coupled with a feeling of joy for life that Jacinda brought to the table.

Just imagine all the serious , earnest, sincere, bitter and twisted old men we have had leading us in the past coming back in another form (Luxton _ Key) to make us take life seriously again as we all strive to work hard everyday to make already rich people even richer through our combined labour (nose to the grindstone).

Dark times for ordinary people are ahead, especially if national gets in.

[C_T_Russell]

Helen Clark is right to be upset about the news, however she still faced the same attacks if anyone remembers back in 2008, she stood her ground.
Unfortunately for labour, her resignation has sealed the party's fate for this election.

And further to add, NZ is not full of nutters, but rather a good majority don't like a dictatorship running the country, it was the same back under the last labour govt if anyone remembers.

[Lilith7]

The more I think about Jacinda feeling so bad about how she has been treated that she feels she should step down or is in some way inadequate, the more I find myself seething with anger at the stupidity of the people who have used words to create the illusion that someone else could have done better in the last five years than she did.

They are obviously stupid and have some sort of axe to grind.  Any well-meaning person can see that she was a wonderful person to steer NZ and looking at who we have on offer, ie proto-nazi Luxton et al we are going to be in for some dark days getting increasingly darker as world events add up.  (Global Warming, over-population).  We were all very lucky to have her for the time that we have had as our leader.

This idea that in the end we are all going to get to some sort of earthly heaven if we only get things right is so naive and anyone who has the idea that a variation of economic boom is going to make life so much better needs to wake up.

The situation is that no matter who leads things are probably going to get worse and the best we can hope for is for things to continue as they have with the occasional glitch every now and again which takes us all by surprise, ie Covid.

Whoever our new leader is they won't have the zest and verve coupled with a feeling of joy for life that Jacinda brought to the table.

Just imagine all the serious , earnest, sincere, bitter and twisted old men we have had leading us in the past coming back in another form (Luxton _ Key) to make us take life seriously again as we all strive to work hard everyday to make already rich people even richer through our combined labour (nose to the grindstone).

Dark times for ordinary people are ahead, especially if national gets in.

I'd like to see this country use some common sense, & as far as possible emulate those Nordic countries which have high taxes in order to cover such things as health, education etc. etc. but which whose people invariably come top of the 'happiest people' surveys. But I don't suppose it's likely.

if the right get in, then its likely to be hard times for most, especially if it involves ACT whose idiot leader has already indicated he wants to 'trim benefits'. Which indicates just how out of touch he really is, to think that anyone on a benefit isn't already struggling.

The last thing we need is more of the money men ruling the country; that is what's led us to this point where we have beggars in the streets & homeless people.

But National has already pushed the 'get tough' button in an effort to gain votes, despite the fact that they surely must be well aware that it doesn't work & often does more harm than good. In the past, they've also 'got tough' on beneficiaries - who could forget Ruth Richardson's policies in Jenny Shipley's govt - so their past record towards those who are least able to defend themselves isn't a good one.

I'd also have no objection to Kiri Allan as leader, but due to her gender & sexual orientation, she'd no doubt be the target of an even more vicious group of immature boys attacking her.

---

Helen Clark is right to be upset about the news, however she still faced the same attacks if anyone remembers back in 2008, she stood her ground.
Unfortunately for labour, her resignation has sealed the party's fate for this election.

And further to add, NZ is not full of nutters,  but rather a good majority don't like a dictatorship running the country, it was the same back under the last labour govt if anyone remembers.

Don't pretend this govt was a 'dictatorship' that really is ludicrous.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship
"A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by the dictator and facilitated through an inner circle of elites that include advisers, generals, and other high-ranking officials. "



The difference is that because she hadn't any children, there were no threats made against them. There have been threats made against the PM's daughter - presumably by immature boys who are deeply mentally disturbed.

[king1]

And further to add, NZ is not full of nutters,  but rather a good majority don't like a dictatorship running the country, it was the same back under the last labour govt if anyone remembers.

quite right, just a minority of nutters who all seem to be fisherman - overestimating the size of everything...

[Oldfellah]

Im not going to put down or say anything about anyone, but how will people feel when its an National/Act government which it surely will be now, before her resignation it would have been touch and go, but not now