Jacinda Ardern appears to have a split personality and it is not serving her or her country well.
In Australia, Ardern decided to take a bull in a china shop approach with Scott Morrison. Someone needs to school her on the art of diplomacy as, along with wrapping fish and chips, this was obviously not part of the curriculum at Morrinsville College. Her remarks on deportation, or a telling off, as some in the media described them, are comments best said behind closed doors. The tone she offered in her press conference alongside Morrison sounded like that of a pouty teenager who was brassed off she couldn’t get her own way. The photo of the two of them in a newspaper said it all. She trying to look all stern and full of authority, while his facial expression was one of smirking bemusement. A look of why am I wasting time standing here being lectured to by this young thing.
Reaction has been swift. The Ardern fan club predictably think that she’s beyond compare while the rest of us who know a little about diplomacy find her an acute embarrassment. It is not difficult to work out why the ignorant woman created this diplomatic incident. The cameras were rolling so sensibility went out the door in favour of big-noting. What this shows is that we have a prime minister who lacks maturity and therefore judgement when carrying out her role. It’s worth watching Peta Credlin of Sky News Australia, who decided to have a sort of celebrity roast of Ardern.
There is, in my view, a very good question here. If she chooses to use her bravado overseas, misplaced though it is, why are we not seeing it here at home? Instead of taking her Deputy, Ministers and others to task when required, all we hear are mutterings from the “it’s nothing to do with me” playbook. The majority may not have elected her party but Winston gave her the job of PM. However, her inability to do it means that the likes of Winston and Shane can play fast and loose politically, making pie in the sky promises and practically doing what they like.
By the way, has anybody noticed the similarities between Jacinda Ardern and Meghan Markle? It’s all about ME.
To give her her due, Ardern has shown leadership on the coronavirus issue. She is telling us to go about our daily lives and if we need a bottle of milk (almond I presume) then to just go out and buy one. No doubt if anyone catches the virus from doing so, she’ll be on their doorstep to give them a hug.
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