5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT JACINDA ARDERN

Jacinda Ardern, 37, will become New Zealand’s youngest prime minister in more than 150 years after winning the backing of a minor nationalist party to form a coalition government.

1 MORMON NO MORE

Ardern grew up in a Mormon household but she left the faith because of its anti-homosexual stance. She joined the Labour party at 17 and after completing a Bachelor of Communication Studies, she spent three years in London and worked in the Cabinet Office under Tony Blair. She was also a staffer for former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clarke. She becomes the youngest leader since Edward Stafford, who was also 37 but born later in the year.

2 SURPRISE LEADER

She was elected to parliament in 2008 and only became Labour leader two months before the Sept. 23 election. The election failed to produce an outright winner and after 12 days of negotiations, New Zealand first leader Winston Peters threw his support behind Ardern, who also won the support of the Green party.

3 JACINDAMANIA

During the election she drew huge crowds of mostly young people leading the press to term it “Jacindamania.” Her youth and popularity have drawn comparisons to Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron. She leads Labour back into power after nine years.

4 SEXIST QUESTIONS

“It is an absolute honour and a privilege to have the ability to form a government for all New Zealanders,” Ardern told reporters. Her relationship with the press has sometimes been tense. After becoming Labour leader she was asked about plans to have a baby. She labelled such questions as sexist and unacceptable.

5 RECORD WOMAN

Ardern is an amateur DJ and in a long-term relationship with TV and radio personality Clarke Gayford.