PM Jacinda Ardern announces resignation

Photo: File/SunLive.

Jacinda Ardern is announcing she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her last day will be Tuesday, February 7.

Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister.

Ardern is also announcing the 2023 general election will take place on Saturday, October 14.

Mininister of Finance Grant Roberson says he will not stand to lead the Labour Party.

A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days' time on Sunday, January 22.

'Being Prime Minister has been the greatest honour of my life and I want to thank New Zealanders for the enormous privilege of leading the country for the last five and a half years,” says Ardern.

'With holding such a privileged role comes responsibility, including the responsibility to know when you're the right person to lead, and also when you're not.

'I have given my absolute all to being Prime Minister but it has also taken a lot out of me. You cannot and should not do the job unless you have a full tank, plus a bit in reserve for those unplanned and unexpected challenges that inevitably come along.

'Having reflected over summer I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. It's that simple.

'I have spoken to the Governor-General this morning to let her know.

'In addition to our ambitious agenda that has sought to address long term issues like the housing crisis, child poverty and climate change, we also had to respond to a major biosecurity incursion, a domestic terror attack, a volcanic eruption and a one in one hundred year global pandemic and ensuing economic crisis. The decisions that had to be made have been constant and weighty.

'I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved over the last five years in spite of the many challenges thrown at us. We've turned around child poverty statistics and made the most significant increases in welfare support and public housing stock seen in many decades.

'We've made it easier to access education and training while improving the pay and conditions of workers. And we've worked hard to make progress on issues around our national identify - I believe that teaching our history in schools and celebrating Matariki as our own indigenous national holiday will all make a difference for years to come.

'And we've done that while responding to some of the biggest threats to the health and economic wellbeing of New Zealanders, arguably since World War Two.

'The Labour team are incredibly well placed to contest the next election. They are the most experienced team in the country and have shown they have the skills necessary to respond to whatever comes their way.

'I'm not leaving because I believe we can't win the election, but because I believe Labour can and will win it. We need a fresh set of shoulders for the challenges of both this year and the next three.

'As to my time in the job, I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader - one who knows when it's time to go,” says Ardern.

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- Additional reporting by RNZ.

15 comments

At last.....

Posted on 19-01-2023 13:15 | By groutby

.....the country so needs this to happen....there is a lot of work to do before election day but at least the nightmare should end soon.....


Job done, country destroyed

Posted on 19-01-2023 13:26 | By an_alias

Yep check done it all. Now I'm off to my WEF and UN appointment.


Has been speculation for a while now

Posted on 19-01-2023 13:45 | By Kancho

Iim less interested in personality as do many are but she is a figurehead of really terrible policies and those will continue. So lets not get fooled that Labour will continue it's crippling ideologies of division , massive growth in bureaucrats and civil servants on high salaries, centralisation , borrowing and spending and failures in housing, health, education, immigration, child welfare, roading, and so much more. Even the slow covid rollout response we are still suffering the effects of Hermit Kingdom locking New Zealanders out of their own country even when trying to return from short trips. Then of course the Three Waters they are still trying to fix but can't as co governance is not democratic and water is not owned by any group. Such much hard to fix . Either way we can't afford to let them continue the division and mismanagement


At last she is

Posted on 19-01-2023 14:02 | By Mein Fuhrer

being kind to us.


Shows her up

Posted on 19-01-2023 14:02 | By First Responder

What Captain jumps off a sinking ship, and leaves it to the crew. Not even an exit plan, just how she's been the last 5 years. Good riddance


Predictable and overdue..

Posted on 19-01-2023 14:20 | By fair game

but should have a succession plan like all businesses should. Or does she simply not care? No grace or dignity at all in her departure. Essentially given NZ the bird...


Yes

Posted on 19-01-2023 14:25 | By philiphallen

When the going gets tough the tough resign...


Deserter

Posted on 19-01-2023 14:48 | By Yadick

Abandoned the sinking ship. I thought she'd ride it out to the end. However, as groutby states, the country needs this to happen but a LOT of work to be done in the run up to election. Just hope Mahuta doesn't seize the opportunity to push more of her racially based radicalised agendas undemocratically onto us.


Already

Posted on 19-01-2023 15:25 | By Merlin

Already the nasty comments are out. Let's not forget John Key resigned with no petrol in the tank and left a ship that lost an election. A lost election will not be known until after election day.


@First Responder

Posted on 19-01-2023 15:25 | By This Guy

Its not like John Key didn't do the same thing...


Finally!

Posted on 19-01-2023 15:39 | By Andrew64

Thank goodness for that! Only concern now is what damage they can inflict in the next 9 months. Please, please, please not mahuta or Jackson or Davis or we’ll be in big trouble


Do us a favour

Posted on 19-01-2023 16:46 | By timor2011

Do us all a favour and call a snap election- you’ve divided a nation and haven’t delivered anything tangible- please call a snap election!


Excellent!!

Posted on 19-01-2023 17:36 | By The Professor

This has made my summer. The weather has been sh** but Cindy's resignation has brightened the miserable Kiwi summer up. She has gone, so let's move on. With any luck, National will succeed later this year.


So Sad

Posted on 19-01-2023 21:35 | By Yadick

This has taken so long.


Next Government

Posted on 20-01-2023 07:25 | By Thats Nice

I actually feel sorry for the next party to inherit such a mess and owing so much money. It's going to take a very long time to fix this mess.


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