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https://theconversation.com/the-shoes-needing-filling-are-on-the-large-side-of-big-jacinda-arderns-legacy-and-labours-new-challenge-198148>
"Well, no one saw that coming. For those in New Zealand relieved that Christmas
is over because it means politics resumes, this week held the promise of a
cabinet reshuffle, the possible unveiling of some meaty new policy and, if we
were really lucky, the announcement of the date of this year’s general
election.
We got the last of these (it will be on October 14). What we also got, however,
was the announcement that in three weeks’ time one of the most popular – and
powerful – prime ministers in recent New Zealand history will be stepping down.
It isn’t difficult to divine why Jacinda Ardern has reached her decision. As
she herself put it:
I believe that leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could
ever have but also one of the more challenging. You cannot and should not do
it unless you have a full tank plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected
challenges.
She has had more than her fair share of such challenges: a domestic terror
attack in Christchurch, a major natural disaster at Whakaari-White Island, a
global pandemic and, most recently, a cost-of-living crisis.
On top of that, of course, she has had to chart a way through the usual slate
of policy issues that have bedevilled governments for decades in this country,
including the cost of housing, child poverty, inequality and the climate
crisis. Clearly, the Ardern tank is empty.
But it isn’t just about the policy. Along with other women politicians, Ardern
faces a constant barrage of online and in-person abuse – from anti-vaxxers,
misogynists and sundry others who simply don’t like her.
As others with direct experience of this have written, the deterioration in
civic discourse in New Zealand has been profound and disturbing, especially
since the violent occupation of the parliamentary precinct in early 2022.
Ardern has spent the past two years right on the frontline of this sort of
toxicity. This has taken a toll – on her, on her family, on those close to her
– and has played a part in her decision."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
