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Summarised by Centrist
Former prime minister Jacinda Ardern has reportedly based her family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, according to media reports, after being seen house-hunting in the affluent suburb.
A spokesman said: “For the moment, they’re basing themselves out of Australia – they have work there, and it brings the added bonus of more time back home in New Zealand.”
Ardern, 46, stepped down in January 2023. Since leaving office, she has spent significant time overseas, including fellowships at Harvard and roles in the United Kingdom.
News of the move has triggered a petition from Rebel News titled “Ditch Jacinda Ardern — Send the Lockdown Queen back home,” which has attracted more than 6.100 signatures toward a 10,000 goal.
The petition describes her COVID response as “one of the most brutal lockdown regimes in the democratic world” and claims Kiwis endured “prolonged house arrests, family separations, economic devastation and a chilling erosion of civil liberties.”
It further argues that “be kind” became “code for authoritarian control,” accusing mainstream media of “desperate” attempts to portray her positively.
The petition asks: “Why should Australians host this exiled lockdown tyrant? Why can’t she return to NZ to confront the Royal Commission’s scrutiny, the victims of her overreach and the resentment she earned?”
66,300 New Zealand citizens left in the year to December, and nearly 200,000 departed over the past three years. More than half moved to Australia.
Read more over at The Telegraph and Rebel News
