New Zealand elects a new prime minister

Chris Hipkins, minister of COVID-19 response, will lead the ruling Labour Party going forward.

On Saturday, Chris Hipkins was proposed as the country’s new prime minister by the country’s ruling Labour Party. When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s resignation becomes effective next month, the former leader of the Pacific country’s COVID-19 response is anticipated to take over.

Hipkins, 44, became well-known in 2020 as the minister of health. He currently oversees the ministries of education, police, and public service. In November 2020, Hipkins had been appointed by Ardern to the recently established ministry of COVID-19 response, a position he held until July of the previous year. On Sunday, the party’s parliamentary caucus is expected to officially endorse him.

Despite rumours that Justice Minister Kiri Allan might be chosen, Hipkins appears to be Labour’s sole candidate to succeed Ardern.Hipkins would have been the nation’s first Maori prime minister. Hipkins has been praised as “decisive” by Allan, who also called him “an exceptionally strong prime minister.”

The Green Party said it was looking forward to working with him to “eliminate poverty, take bold climate action, and conserve our natural wildlife.” The Green Party has 10 MPs and normally supports the Labour majority in parliament.

The crossbench ACT encouraged Hipkins to “deliver on substance instead of dusting New Zealand with spin” like his predecessor, despite the opposition National Party’s silence on the selection.

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Hipkins, who was first elected in 2008, is a representative for the Remutaka electorate in Wellington’s suburbs. In New Zealand, the electorate has the dubious distinction of having the highest proportion of clerical and administrative workers.

When she revealed earlier this week that she would step down on February 7, 42-year-old Ardern shocked the nation and many global onlookers. After nearly six years at the helm, the emotional PM claimed she no longer had “enough in the tank” to continue.

When the current prime minister resigned in 2017, she also became the party’s leader. In 2020, she was easily re-elected, giving Labour a clear majority in the legislature. Despite having 64 seats at this point, the party is currently performing poorly in front of the general election, which is slated for October, due to rising inflation, crime, and poverty.

All travel to the two main islands was prohibited, and New Zealand implemented one of the strictest pandemic lockdowns in the world under Ardern and Hipkins. The country didn’t reopen until August of last year.