I’m generally wary of focussing on politicians’ religious beliefs — most often because it’s invariably used as a cheap attack on conservatives. The same media who swooned at Kevin Rudd’s Sunday church doorstep pressers relentlessly pilloried Tony Abbott for his Catholicism. The left who viciously attacked Mitt Romney’s Mormonism are outraged should anyone dare question how a Muslim politician’s faith might affect their outlook.
There is no reason that a politician’s religious beliefs should necessarily dictate their policies. As Tony Abbott said, policies have to be publicly justifiable “on the normal sorts of considerations”. At the same time, though, Abbott acknowledged, “We are all influenced by a value system that we hold.”
Which brings me to this curious piece from the New Zealand Herald. Curious because, firstly, it contains some unusually stinging criticisms of PM Jacinda Ardern, but also because it dares to cast a forensic eye over the religious background of a left-wing politician.
As we know, Ardern was raised a Mormon, but has since publicly rejected the faith. But should we be sceptical about how deep that rejection really runs? How much is Ardern still the Mormon girl from Morrinsville?
Put on the spot during a leaders’ debate before the general election last October, she looked uncomfortable when the MC asked both her and Judith Collins: “Will your faith play a role in governance?”
Answering first, Collins bizarrely referred twice to her “sense of humour” but she willingly admitted her faith played a role in her job: “It already does… I’ve always been a liberal Anglican.”
Ardern gave a garbled answer.
“Garbled” is putting it kindly. But the gist was that Mormonism was just a thing that happened in her youth.
Yet Ardern too often behaves indistinguishably from an old-fashioned pulpit-thumper.
Despite Ardern minimising her religious upbringing, the evidence that she is a pseudo-religious leader for a secular age is everywhere.
Her assertion last year that when she and Dr Ashley Bloomfield speak to media they are the “single source of truth” recalls an ex-cathedra pronouncement by the Pope.
There are very obvious reasons, of course, why she might have wanted to be cagey about her religious background. After all, Mormons are associated in the popular imagination with magic glasses used to translate divine golden plates into the Book of Mormon, special underwear, and — for older generations — pairs of clean-cut, bicycle-riding missionaries who would arrive at your door to spread the Word.
South Park’s creators admitted to feeling a bit conflicted about making fun of Mormons, because all the Mormons they’d known as kids were so… nice. Something the South Park episode actually emphasises. I’d concur: the few Mormons I’ve known are all almost weirdly nice.
Which might be the source of Ardern’s “kindness” persona.
Her oft-repeated mantra of “Be kind!” — recently updated to “Be kind, be courteous!” with regard to panic-buying — is an exhortation that would be roundly jeered at if it were uttered by nearly any other New Zealand politician.
Which might go some way to some of Ardern’s more astoundingly clueless decisions, such as paying the Mongrel Mob to run a rehab programme, or imploring the Taliban to be nice to women — as if all the rabid Islamists who murder children for a laugh needed was a bit of a hug and a toothy smile.
But, while Ardern has adopted the outward patina of Mormon kindness, how deep does it really run? Christian humility certainly doesn’t get much of a run with the politician who is ever-ready to pose for selfies in front of an adoring crowd.
Despite her butter-wouldn’t-melt image of kindness and care and concern for others, Ardern is a ruthless politician who is cunning as a fox and quick to change tack in response to public criticism.
She is also shameless at stage-managing her public appearances for maximum effect — whether it is showcasing her Government’s actions at her 1pm press conferences or being covered by a Polynesian ceremonial mat during an official apology for the dawn raids in a highly choreographed piece of political theatre.
The fact she is willing to exploit her status as a pseudo-religious leader was vividly apparent in the Labour manifesto published before last year’s election. The cover photo, which was taken at the party’s campaign launch at the Auckland Town Hall, shows Ardern in profile gazing towards the heavens while behind her in the choir stalls sits a sea of clapping supporters. A white light illuminates her face. The deliberate religious undertones are unmistakable.
The question really is: how long can she keep up the act?
Religions are famous for promising pie-in-the-sky, but Ardern has made her career out of promising pie-for-all on earth. All she’s delivered, though, are stale crumbs.
Like the Israelites, New Zealanders seem to be getting a bit sick of wandering in the desert.
Reaching the Promised Land can’t be delayed forever. The poor will always be with us, as Jesus said, but no one would have imagined in 2017 — when Ardern promised her “transformational” policies would wash away tears — that by 2021 so many more would have joined their ranks.
And so, once again, Ardern is ascending the Podium of Truth and handing down the Law.
However, it looks like it will be a much harder sell than last year. As Judith Collins said, echoing a widespread sentiment: “It is not enough for the Prime Minister to lock us in our homes and speak from the podium once a day. New Zealanders don’t need sermons — we need vaccines in arms right now.”
NZ Herald
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