Jan 24, 2023 – 11:59 AM
The last time she appeared in public as New Zealand’s Prime Minister was Jacinda Ardern, who had unexpectedly resigned from her post a few days earlier, AP News reports. Ardern, 42, captained New Zealand for five years before announcing her resignation last week due to fatigue.
In his final official speech, the outgoing prime minister said he will miss the people the most, as they are the “joy of work” for him. Ardern made her last official trip to Ratana, the meeting place of the indigenous religious Māori movement, with her successor, Chris Hipkins.
Ardern told reporters that she had been friends with Hipkins for nearly 20 years and, on the way to the meeting, advised her to do what she felt was best in connection with her job as prime minister.
As we wrote in our pic of her, Ardern’s departure, albeit abrupt, isn’t at all out of character, in fact. The Prime Minister of New Zealand became known to the world because he did not hide his private life as any politician would. During his tenure, he also fathered his daughter and championed causes such as environmental protection and social equality, which is why his premiership is seen by many as iconic.
