Five reasons why...
...Jacinda Ardern is a boss bitch. Debate intern and Jacinda fangirl Laine Yeager shares a few of her favourite things about the Labour party leader. Illustration by Hope McConnell.
1.
She’s an advocate for bridging the gender pay gap
Jacinda has made no secret of the fact that neither she nor the Labour party will rest until New Zealand women are paid the same as their male counterparts. Saying: "In 2017 there should be no such thing as a gender pay gap…We need our mothers, our daughters, our sisters, our aunties, to be valued no matter what workforce they are in.” Yeah, girl!
2.
She’s got a kickass sense of humour
You know that awkward silence when a speaker makes a joke and no one laughs? Well, that doesn’t happen to this leading lady. Although her jokes are rare, Jacinda pulls off a lol with ease. When discussing Auckland’s transport problem in Parliament, she piped up with a cracker of a line: “By the time Auckland gets rail to the airport… [Bill English] will be 86, I'll be 66 and Todd Barclay will be into his teens," receiving howls of laughter from the house.
3.
She knows how to stand her ground
A mere eight hours after Ardern was elected as Labour leader, she was asked about her plans to have children.
To which she replied: “…it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace. It is a woman's decision about when they choose to have children.” Did you know Bill English has six kids? No? Because no one cares. When pressed about her personal life, Jacinda has stood her ground while remaining cool, calm and collected.
4.
If she was a Game of Thrones character, she would be Sansa Stark - ‘nuff said
Much like Sansa, Ardern kicks a whole lot of ass. Once seen as innocent and naïve, Ardern has grown to become an influential political force, rising through the ranks as her male colleagues struggle to attain any level of power. Observing and learning from their mistakes, Jacinda has risen to the top of the Labour party, and like Sansa, has the power to connect with and relate to a younger crowd.
5.
She’s a “real” Kiwi woman
The Labour leader’s first-ever job was at the Golden Kiwi fish and chip shop in her hometown of Morrinsville. How relatable is that?! When asked how she would describe a “real Kiwi woman”, Ardern said we’re strong and proud, but she wishes we were all kinder to ourselves. Naaaw.