|
Lazy eyes listen
|
Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand has resigned as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader, citing exhaustion from more than five years in office and a lack of energy to continue in the role.
Ardern announced her decision on Thursday afternoon, saying she had considered her future as Prime Minister during the summer recess of the New Zealand parliament and decided she would prefer to spend more time with her family.
“I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. “The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and when you are not,” she told Labour Party caucus members at a retreat in Napier. “I understand what this job entails. And I know I don’t have enough gas in the tank to do it justice. It’s as simple as that.”
A recent poll found Labour Party support at its lowest since she took office as the world’s youngest female head of state in 2017, but Ardern denied this influenced her decision. “I’m leaving not because I believe we can’t win the election, but because I believe we can and will, and we need a new set of shoulders to meet that challenge,” she insisted.
Ardern will leave the PM’s office no later than February 7, but will remain the Mount Albert electorate’s MP until April.
The next general election is scheduled for October 14, and it is unclear who will take her place until then, as deputy leader and finance chief Grant Robertson has said he will not run despite being considered an early frontrunner.
Labour now has one week to see if another candidate can garner more than two-thirds of the Labour Caucus’ support. If they are unable to choose a new leader, the election will be held with the participation of the entire Labour Party.
