New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to resign
Jacinda Ardern has stunned New Zealanders by announcing she will step down as the nation’s prime minister by next month and will not contest the upcoming election.
She also announced that the general election will be held on Saturday October 14.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces her resignation at the War Memorial Centre in Napier.Credit:Getty
The leader said she took time to re-evaluate her future over the summer period and came to the decision.
“I decided to give myself a chance to really reflect if I had what was needed… I’d be doing a disservice to New Zealand if I continued,” she said.
Ardern choked back tears saying she did not have the energy to seek re-election.
“I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice,” she said later adding “I’m a politician who is first and foremost human”.
Ardern was speaking from the Labour Party caucus retreat in Napier. She said her colleagues, to whom she spoke on Wednesday night, weren’t surprised.
She said she “needed to let someone else take on this job” and still believed the party would win the upcoming election.
Earlier in the day, across town, National Party leader Christopher Luxon revealed a reshuffle.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced she will resign as NZ prime minister.Credit:NZ Herald
Ardern has said that she would make announcements on a caucus reshuffle, Labour policy re-prioritisation and an election date early in the year.
More to come
– with agencies
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