There are lots of reasons why Jacinda might be a one-term prime minister. The main one is a lack of substance. Sure, she has gained a lot of admiration for her handling of the Christchurch massacre, but really, all she did was don a headscarf, hug people and then pull out the usual ‘captain’s call’ over gun laws. There is really nothing very extraordinary about that.
Otherwise, Jacinda is truly unremarkable. People say she is a great communicator, but if you look at all the ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ in her radio interviews, I would not agree with that.
She has no understanding of economic matters, she sidesteps criticism of her government’s blatant failures and, in spite of a claim that her government is ‘bringing kindness back’, she is particularly snarly during Question Time. All of these things indicate that she is under pressure, and a good leader should cope better than that.
Rumours of her stepping down at the next election are swirling about and the reasons are mostly related to her inability to handle pressure and criticism. Kate Hawkesby has a different view, however. She thinks that Jacinda will be headhunted by the UN straight away. quote.
Jacinda Ardern will be a one-term Prime Minister. Not because she’s no good – quite the opposite – because she’s a rock star who’s ready to move on. end quote.
Like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse or Jim Morrison, you mean? quote.
Why? Because when you are this young, and make this big of an impact internationally, when you are lauded on the international stage to the degree she’s been this year, you strike while the iron is hot.
The spotlight is on her and it’s a good time to be a woman ? and a competent one at that. end quote.
I dispute the ‘competent’ bit. Hugging people and wearing a symbol of female subjugation does not make a competent leader. Sure, her photos were all over the international media… but, dare I say it… was this because some of the photos would have been particularly appealing to the great unwashed, who don’t know her as their prime minister, but rather as a ‘pretty socialist’ from the bottom of the world? quote.
Ardern’s had a taste of the international scene, she handled it with aplomb. Everything the UN stands for aligns with her own beliefs.
She’s big on ideology, a fan of discussion and consultation, she’s empathetic. Perfect UN material. end quote.
My problem with this article is that, while I think Hawkesby is talking absolute garbage, I also want her to be right… not because I want Jacinda to go on to greater things, but because I want to get rid of this terrible government. Jacinda really is the only thing keeping it in place, and once she has gone, the whole, awful house of cards will come tumbling down in seconds. I can’t wait to see that.
quote.
Who needs the stress and day-to-day tumult of being Prime Minister if you don’t have to?
Here, she is trapped in a finite political cycle. Her time will come and go. And she’s at the top of the tree already. end quote.
Yes, and by all accounts, she is not coping very well. That, it seems, is the main reason why she is thinking of pulling the plug at next year’s election. quote.
And as far as the international press are concerned, she hasn’t put a foot wrong. If you’re an ambitious person, you’re already thinking of the next step.
Why would you hang around if you’re already able to tick the Prime Minister box?
When Ardern famously appeared at the UN with baby Neve watching on, it made worldwide headlines. Not because of the impact of her speech, which was largely to an empty chamber, but because of what she represented. end quote.
What did she represent? Motherhood? Communism? If it wasn’t her speech that brought the place to a standstill, then she represented nothing. It was all just photo opportunities. quote.
At the time, political editors were hailing her as “the torch carrier for progressive politics.” The BBC’s Nick Bryant called her UN performance “the most interesting debutante of the year”.
So how do you capitalise on all that exposure and all that international goodwill?
A Newspaper. end quote.
You strike while the iron’s hot.
If she was ‘the most interesting debutante of the year’, then obviously there was very little competition.
I do not want to disagree with Kate Hawkesby though. Let us hope that Jacinda is in fact being head hunted by the UN as we speak. After all, it is clearly the best place for her. Much, much better than here.