SHOCK BOMBSHELL ANNOUNCEMENT: Jacinda Ardern will not seek re-election

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
162
4025
Jacinda Ardern Is standing down

Breaking News:

“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.

“This summer, I had hoped to find a way to prepare for not just another year, but another term – because that is what this year requires. I have not been able to do that.”

It is a bombshell announcement that puts the Labour Party in a tailspin.

Grant has announced he won’t stand, this is a political explosion like no other.

The intense animosity and toxic attacks on Jacinda personally that the Right have whipped up has taken its toll on one of the best Leaders Labour has had. The unprecedented majority in an MMP environment marks her handling of the terror attacks and Covid as real moments of leadership.

The disgusting character assassination she has suffered at the hands of feral partisans and Qanon fanatics and racist Kiwis has been shocking and galling.

Jacinda brought out the best and the worst in us.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

There were mistakes, her caution and refusal to take on the self serving public service is one of them, but her legacy of making NZers and women feel 2 inch taller with a sense of pride can’t be ignored.

This is a terrible blow to the Political Left.

We will be in shock for some time.

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162 COMMENTS

  1. Labour is done. Forever (Fingers crossed). Let’s hope we get a Left-wing opposition at some point, and not another half of the Purple Party.

    • Do you ever read what you write before committing it to print? This is NZ.. I would be massively surprised if there are more than a handful of people here who have the first clue as to what “left wing” actually means… NZ actually deserves what it’s going to get now, as the vast majority of it’s inmates are either incurably self centered, or just proudly ignorant of reality.. You know, the reality that starts once one leaves the country, and discovers that NZ is nothing but a group of small islands that don’t have any use except for a tourist destination for the wealthy.. It’s now one of the most expensive places in the world to live, with no capacity to even feed itself, let alone produce anything useful.. The tory criminals that NZers so enthusiastically cheered on have sold the country down the river, and finished the long held tory dream of wrecking our ability to look after ourselves without having to import everything… The period of the Key government represents the capstone of the long held desire to reduce NZ to a compliant satellite of the British/American power structure.. Throw in total dependence on milk powder to China, cutting down the forests that would have provided framing timber for the houses so desperately needed after they were sold off to anyone with the money to outbid kiwis.. And then allowing what was left to be exported before local requirements were ever taken into account… Thus, keeping the property values climbing way beyond our ability to pay… And all you can do is gloat that the news media, along with groups of traitorous, and self interested people in NZ have finally removed the last impediment to the complete capitulation to John Keys superiors… The utter lack of depth, and sheer delusion that characterises political debate in NZ is utterly demoralising to those of us that used to feel a sense of pride that NZ hadn’t gone down the drain of modern capitalism, and hadn’t become so utterly delusional about their own importance is long gone now.. NZ can now proudly take its place as the thickest race on the planet.. Considering the efforts being made by the tory criminals to make it impossible for us to look after ourselves in a rational, and sensible manner, I don’t think NZ will lose that “stupid” tag for a long, long time… You do know that most of the world doesn’t even know NZ exists, and those who do, regard it as just a nice place to look at with nothing else going for it…”Mexicans with cellphones” is still the most accurate description of the locals.. How shameful is that? And still, all I see and hear is nothing more than juvenile whining pretending to be erudition.. Pathetic..

    • CGT for National and Chris Luxon.
      Winner for National, but with some exemptions.

    • Key quit for distinctly different reasons – Jacinda has the good of the nation at heart – Key was in an embarrassing position. To make such a comparison is odious….but too many Kiwis are….

    • Some sort of Labour patsy. Whoever takes the job is committing political suicide as Labour heads to a historic loss (after their historic victory).

    • No shame in quitting for the right reasons and at the appropriate time. That’s what she – and Key have done.
      But there is shame and hatred in the intent of your words.
      No doubt the other haters will also fill columns like these…
      Why don’t you get a life, put your money where your sour mouth is, and put yourself up for public office?
      Bet you and other haters won’t have the guts to do that?
      Pathetic little person!

    • So what business or country have you run in the past .Are you putting your hand up for the job they are voting on Sunday so it is not too late.

    • Being a prime minister of a nation, where all stats are going negative is a hard position to be in. The constant negativity from public is hard to digest for the toughest amongst us.

      At this time, her young family needs her more than this country. All the best wishes to Jacinda, and you will be forever remembered for your empathy and leading the nation through Christchurch massacre and covid. I am sure her journey has only started, and we will see her fly to greater heights in near future.

  4. On the contrary, Ardern became an impediment to social progress when she promised in 2019 no capital gains tax while she was prime minister, and in 2020 no wealth tax.

    • Possibly an indicator of what Labour want to roll out in the coming months. I mean if everyone is baying for blood best to give them something they can really get their torches and pitchforks in to.

    • Great call John. So, would you expect Chris Luxon to implement Capital Gains Tax immediately to fix the deficit?

      There’s always a silver lining.

  5. It’s probably more than mere workplace stress, it it was not having anything in the tank to return to the job straight away GR could have operated as acting PM to March. The deciding factor would been an alienation from political society which has become more divisive in the post pandemic world.

  7. Why blame the right when she brought this on herself by not using her majority to push the policy that was expected from the left. Your blogs have pointed out the errors of her reign time and time again. A complaint from a supposed friend hurts more than from an enemy .
    From my point of view she did a good job in difficult times but it was made harder by poor ministers like Sepuloni and Little and those pushing the race card like Jackson and Mahuta.
    I hope those that blasted John Key for leaving now reflect on how hard the job is and leaving when you choose is better than hanging on in hope .
    Good luck to her and her family

  10. Picked it!

    Probably had some horror internal polling or horror economic news or a mixture of both and realized there was no way back. Interesting Robertson didn’t put his hat in the ring.

    Kelvin Davis for PM?

  12. I don’t know actually, I think many kiwis will see this exactly for what it is, two leaders unwilling to take responsibility for the mess they’ve made.

  13. Luxon won’t be able to withstand what he will have to contend with. He is a lilylivered joke and won’t even get to the election.

  14. Not up for the fight. So when the economy is on the skids and having failed to deliver what she promised in 2017, she abandons the sinking ship. Gutless.

    • Bit of self-revelation PLC?
      You shouldn’t put yourself down like that.
      Dirty Politics brigade will disown you for self-deprecating truths like that.
      Or was it humour?

    • You are fucking kidding right. 1 % of New Zealand are winners you selfish twat. Back to your mate Epstein with you Andrew.

    • Agree, Michael.
      Expect ACT to help put the steel in the spine of neoliberal transformative change to cleanse the nanny state from NZ once again and this time for good.

  18. Fuck!. Here we go. now watch all the nasties try and put the boot in! (Sooooo macho)

    I don’t know why the so-called boffins and commentariat are so surprised. Best comments I’ve heard have come from Shane Te Pou who is “shocked but not surprised”

    Admittedly she backed herself into a corner over a couple of things – the first early on over a CGT.
    The commentariat and quite a few senior public servants did her no favours. She needed an H2 and some decent advisors considering it was becoming bloody obvious the electorate was getting pissed off by the number of highly paid consultants, senior public servants and ticket clippers slowing down progress.

    But then so will her successor need an H2.

  21. Yep, who is next? I guess that depends on who elects them, the Party? the Cabinet? the MPs?

    My top 3 – Parker, Chippie and Allan. My next 3 – Wood, Henare (Although he is rumoured to be retiring, He said he wanted to be PM on TV earlier last year) or toss up between Jackson or McAnulty.

    IMO, If they are smart they will choose Allan (Wide support from Pakeha and Maori – seen as practical, intelligent and nice) or Parker (Seen as the only MP to stand against the worst excesses of this Govt and will appeal to those who want limits on co governance).

    Many will say Wood but he is something of a smug git and would have to wear the pink bike bridge and Rivers of Filth? Electoral gold for National. Chippie has told a lot of lies and is looking very tired but people like him but my money is on a Wood, Allan ticket. In my view more sensibly, it should be a Parker, Allan ticket.

  22. Been posting for a while now that St Jacinda would resign/step down….was ridiculed, but you have to know the type of person she is, she loved being adored (why do you think all those school visits were organized) and when that reduced sharply towards the end of last year the writing was on the wall!

    UN role beckons. (She will be awesome at the UN, they don’t expect results/delivery either!)

    • Wucking right-wing fankers have achieved their right-wing goal.
      Big shill bonuses for dirty politics vile character assasins and misogynists.

      Dirty politics at its worst.

  24. Ardern has no popular legislative or reform achievements.

    Her legacy is that she was the first pm to give birth and the first pm to win the popular vote in mmp and her handling of COVID in 2020.

    Her legacy is also pissing away unprecedented popularity on unpopular and outright hated reforms, many that her party didn’t campaign on like three waters and going a bit power mad.

    Hers was a govt obsessed with upper middle class virtue signaling and telling us what to do, say, think. Her govt was obsessed with micromanaging citizens lives rather than improving citizens quality of life.

    Hers was a govt that got everyone’s hopes up that finally we would see some economic change only to paint within the existing neoliberal framework and sat on its hands while the rich got richer and the poor poorer.

    Every opportunity for change from supermarket reform, to capital gains taxes, to welfare reforms, to housing to dental were all put in the too hard box.

    Even on housing they are reliant on begging developers to build cheap houses cos they have no imagination outside the neoliberal framework.

    Spent billions on health restructuring that provided not one single extra operation.

    A govt of consultants, upper middle class twats who for two years thought themselves unbeatable and refused to engage and listen to kiwis.

    It’s over.

    Baton down the hatches.

    We’re getting an extremely powerful nat/act govt and unlike labour, they’ll use their power for reforms. Horrible reforms and in 2032 when labour is back in power, they’ll refuse to undo any of nat/act govts reforms.

  25. Morgan Godfrey on RNZ said she had done some great things and they included: building thousands of state houses… BULLSHIT!

  26. Mr Wood for PM, Kiri for deputy. Ditch Rogernomics now!

    Some dark, ugly kiwis have assisted this situation enabled by Facebook, ZB and all the other media channels. NZ Labour has to go left or give up basically. The sick joke is a Natzo ACT Govt. will freeze minimum wage for three years, and roll back most of the other positive reforms for working class people since 2017,

    • “Mr Wood for PM, Kiri for deputy. Ditch Rogernomics now!”
      Exactery.
      And as you frequently advise supposed Lefties – get involved. Even if it’s just delivering pamphlets or acting as a scrutineer on election day.

      This probably needed to happen.

    • Parker & Kiri – If you want swing voters. Wood seen as woke, a bit gauche and all Union. Less appealing than Parker who stood up to Rotorua City Council (at long last) which gave him a boost in middle voter’s esteem.

    • Spot on there TM.

      Judging by some of the toxic comments I’m reading in media as well as this site, there is a vicious darkness out there, concerning Jacinda’s resignation.

      • yeah – it’s terrible and all from the frothing conservative clique – god help us when the shit really hits the fan.

  27. You only need to look at the negative comments here to understand why any sane person would not want the PM job. It is difficult to see how Labour could win the election this year but that is only a problem if you think that politicians can save us. All the evidence tells us that trusting in worldly leaders never works & with a democracy people tend to get the government they deserve which makes life hard for those struggling to get ahead.

  28. Sad in many ways, I never blamed Jacinda for the mistakes Labour made – obviously she had a role in losing touch lead by the woke along with Labour, but also feel that she bore the brunt of a local and international hate campaign against her.

    She is the ‘modern’ leader, picked to be popular but a pawn of many horrible influences behind the scenes where they have allowed money to rule democracies now, good sense and good taste are absent. Obviously big benefits to those personally though, a UN or similar job awaits.

    Not sure I agree with modern political leaders being puppet like figures in politics (Boris from UK comes to mind) and also disagree with lengthy paid local and international hate campaigns against her (aka Covid/Anti Vaxx).

  30. It feels like the right thing politically and personally. She has a young family to look after and a life outside politics to get on with. Those should, rightly, be her priority. The timing of this reminds me of Key’s resignation – leave at the top.
    This might mess with National’s planned electoral strategy. And it might let Labour focus on policy not culture war issues and, maybe, convince the electorate to do the same.

    • Best comment today. Humble and balanced. You leave a lot of people to be ashamed on this topic, given your rightwing leaning.

  31. I’m an old Lefty, voted that way pretty much all of my life, since i was able to vote.

    I never liked her, was unhappy when she took the leadership of Labour.

    Nonetheless, I held my nose and voted for Labour in 2017. But by 2018, when it was clear that they couldn’t keep their electoral promises, they lost my support. I didn’t vote for them in 2020, will likely never again vote for them.

    I’ve seen nothing in the last 5 years to change my mind about her, or her government.

  32. Robertson is still pissed off that he didn’t win last so he would rather put Labour on the Opposition benches, and ruin the lives of the bottom feeders.

    Perhaps he should stand down as well

  33. I’m still trying to work out what the massive majority for Labour was worth. Those who hate Labour would hear any utterance about action from a Minister or the PM and go crazy about a ‘dictatorship.’

    Announcing a working party or consultations before doing anything was “stuffing round, not doing anything.” Doing anything without those was ‘not democratic.’

    A dictatorship is what is needed because it it is impossible to ‘sell’ anything to the public.
    That’s summarised by our attitude to roading.

    We want better roads, we want more roads, but we don’t want roadworks and road cones. We want a four-lane highway North Cape to Bluff. With a median strip. but we don’t want taxes and petrol price levies to pay for it.

    We want no road deaths but we don’t want speed restrictions. We want safer driving but want to drive drunk and drugged or while using our mobiles.

    We don’t want the Government owning businesses but we want the Government owning Marsden Point and such as businesses providing CO2. When the shit hits the fan.

    We don’t want socialism, hate it with a passion, but we want socialism when things don’t go right and we need to be bailed out.

    • There is an in between called social democracy. Problem with Labour it was all socialism no democracy.
      A lot of their decision making was autocratic not consultative and asking the people what they wanted.

      Social Democratic nations like Finland, Sweden , etc.

      We don’t get the model right in New Zealand and Labour went much further towards socialism then the public could live with. Think 3/5 waters and a lack of consultation, input and listening to the arguments for and against as an example.

      I think New Zealanders do not mind paying extra in taxes PROVIDED it is being used to better their situation. Unfortunately Labour was not able to show how increased taxation would help Joe and Joan Public. So were reluctant to increase taxation without being able to show where it would be wisely spent.

      Worth a read;

      https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/politics/political-ideology/social-democracy/

      “

      • +1 Agree, or fake consultation because when everyone disagreed they do it anyway!

        As for Maori being better environmental stewards apparently they managed to get Maori to support the Dome River Dump in a low, lying, flood prone area that discharges into the Kaipara Harbour recently after battling it out in environment court.

        If you don’t already know, nobody ecological can win in environmental court. It is deliberately stacked to be able to push anything through. That is why we have Pike River getting consented, liquefaction, buildings built on land, not fit for purpose and nobody held to account.

        Doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are, in NZ money always finds a way to make things worse for the environment and the community that lives there, while the greedy, stupid, sign it all off.

        Blankets and Muskets promised by NZ Waste by chance? Eventually all roads lead to stupid decisions being made. Once made the taxpayers/council end up funding paying for the folly when it all goes wrong.

      • ” We don’t get the model right in New Zealand and Labour went much further towards socialism then the public could live with ”

        Take some pills and lay down ! Gone and do some reading on Socialism and come back and write your blog again…Geritt

        FFS !

  34. Denny Paoa Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokai whenuakitanatahu(Tane/Male/Man, not Female/Woman)

    Juan Guaido has joined the NZ Labour party. More to come….

  35. Mixed feelings about this…Jacinda did seem to want to help at the start, but struggled in the last 24 months, especially once the media, and other Kiwis started asking more questions…

    Her lack of grooming a political heir is a flaw, that will cost Labour in the up coming election

  38. Foreskin Kings is back on Newstalk ZB Monday. He will be foaming at the mouth and penis with delight.

    • Foreskin Kings is back on Newstalk ZB Monday. He will be foaming at the mouth and penis with delight.

      God that’s just put me off my dinner. Thanks Mike.

    • Do you think Mr and Mrs Foreskins will get a refund on their emigration flights to Aussie?
      If they do reverse their emigration, it will lower the IQ and EQ quotient of both countries.

      • Yep Mike and the right have no integrity. He lied on air and did not migrate to Aussie. Fucking liar just like National party MPs.

  40. All I can say too the lass is thank you for doing your bit to get us through the early stages of the Chinese flu and all the best to her , and her family , for the future….and go home tonight and have a few glasses of wine…

  41. Sounds like Jacinda quit for more genuine reasons and will serirve the country.
    Key quit to play more golf and work full time for those he had been really working for during his tenure – the banks and the CCP Chinese Criminal Party.

    • So how long till she gets a job at the UN or WEF? the “nothing left in the tank” excuse instantly won’t fly.

    • She probably quit because of all those nasty old Trumper men and their Trumpian views. What a sad lot. NZ is not ready for a successful young woman. Labour must select an oldish man preferably a mongrel like Nash.

  42. Augh well,lets hope the caucus gets it shit together and appoints MICHAEL WOOD as their only hope as leader.

  43. The member for Mt Albert has quit and hopefully the member for Mt Roskill will take her place. Just like what should have happened in 2008.

    Labour might just have a fighting chance now. We shall see.

    • ” Didn’t even last six years and still full of self congratulations ”

      Seems to be the new way we do things in the millennial world.

  45. They need to dump Rogernomics once and for all. Plus Mr Wood has achieved things for working class people such as FPAs and the return of NZ Coastal Shipping which was pretty good given the state of the NZ Labour Caucus.

  46. ” There were mistakes, her caution and refusal to take on the self serving public service is one of them ”

    Bomber I never met Jacinda Adern so I have never made derogatory comments about her on a personal level. But as a New Zealander I have criticised her many times on this site and her colleagues for promising transformation but not delivering.

    I agree she stepped up with the crises presented to her but that is the job she put herself forward for but sadly that is where her leadership ended. When she needed to take action on the domestic front she did not and ignored so many highly tax payer funded working groups that presented her and her colleagues with measures they could take to give us what you and many others keep calling for ” regulated capitalism. ”

    The massive majority gifted to reward her and her colleagues in 2020 , an unprecedented majority not seen since 1935 and 1951 was an even more impressive feat under MMP and no Winston and Shane show to put the handbrake on they could have achieved regulated capitalism and gone to the country on a new economic platform and begin by changing the narrative. That would have taken bold leadership and courage and empathy something Adern seemed to possess.

    For the first time since 1984 there was a glimmer of hope that this young woman who endeared herself to the electorate with her compassion and humanity had the mana to really make the change so many desperately wanted and needed.

    But it was not meant to be.

    I acknowledge her service and her early moves on protecting us from the ravages of COVID.

    I am more sad of what could have been and the looming threat to our most vulnerable people who she solicited votes from then walked away from them on so many occasions and for the last time on February 7th.

    LINO and its current managerial woke membership is still the major problem standing in the way of providing a real serious alternative to the Nasty NACT and LINOs adherence to neo liberal atrocities which continue unabated and with more venom after October 14th.

  49. how ,wit that farm fence.Backbench now,leader,membrance,the nats there farm, fence,what a uncaring excuse,profit

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