Jacinda Ardern is set to become New Zealand’s youngest Prime Minister. The 37-year-old has been the opposition leader for the last three months and her party, the Labour Party, came second in September’s election. No party was able to get a majority, and the Labour Party will form the government as part of a coalition.
Arden will be New Zealand’s third female prime minister.
She wants to end child poverty, build affordable homes, provide free tertiary education and a bigger student allowance
"We aspire to be a government for all New Zealanders and one that will seize the opportunity to build a fairer, better New Zealand,” Ardern said. “We will work hard to ensure New Zealand is once again a world leader, a country we can all be proud of. We said we could do this, we will do this.”
Arden took control of the Labour Party in July after its leader Andrew Little quit.
She has been a devoted member of the Labour party since the age of 17. After university, she worked for Future Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and the then Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Arden has been a DJ, and enjoys mixing beats in her spare time. She has even put on many performances.
She is famous for rebuking a journalist’s question on women at the workplace and is known as an ardent feminist. A journalist had asked her if it was ok for a prime minister to take maternity leave. She said that it was totally unacceptable in 2017 to ask questions like this. “For other women, it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace,” said Ardern.
Arden was raised a Mormon, but left the church before entering Parliament.
She is a big hit amongst the millennial population of New Zealand.
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