Summarised by Centrist
In commentator and writer Martin Hanson’s critique of Jacinda Ardern, her meteoric rise as New Zealand’s “queen of empathy” showcased a charismatic leadership style that he argues was carefully calculated political theatre.
According to Hanson, Ardern’s political career began with idealistic roots—joining the Labour Party at 17. She worked with notable figures like Helen Clark and Tony Blair before stepping into global socialist leadership as president of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) at 27, a role Hanson dubs her “first significant step up the socialist ladder.”
In 2017, Ardern was thrust into leadership weeks before the election.
Her initial tenure was unremarkable, but Hanson states crises like the Christchurch mosque shooting and COVID allowed her to exploit public sentiment.
Her international image as a “world leader in empathy” was, Hanson asserts, a façade. “Her skilfully chosen words” and symbolic gestures, such as wearing a hijab, reinforced the narrative.
However, Hanson believes her policies revealed the opposite of kindness. From vaccine mandates that stripped citizens of jobs to border closures that stranded New Zealanders abroad, Hanson accuses Ardern of breeding division and trampling democratic rights.
While international media celebrated her as a symbol of compassionate governance, local sentiments shifted dramatically.
By the time of her resignation in 2023, Ardern faced accusations of malfeasance, particularly around vaccine safety concerns ignored by her government.
He cites Graham Adams who called the portrayal of her critics as misogynists a distraction from legitimate grievances, saying, “It’s not about her gender; it’s about her policies.”
Editor’s note: Martin Hanson’s article starts with conjecture about corporate motivations that are conspiracy theory like, but they are mostly unrelated to the rest of the article which sites verifiable facts on which one can reasonably come to his opinion. It offers a detailed account of Jacinda Ardern’s political history and leadership, which we’ve summarised here.
Read more over at The Daily Telegraph NZ
Image: Kirk Hargreaves
