Jacinda Ardern abuse ‘abhorrent’, says incoming NZ PM Chris Hipkins
Wellington: New Zealand’s incoming prime minister has vowed to protect his family from what he called the “abhorrent” abuse that his predecessor, Jacinda Ardern, received while in office.
Ms Ardern announced that she was quitting as the country’s leader on Thursday, citing burnout.
Threats against her became more frequent in recent years and included a man claiming he had the right to “shoot the prime minister” for treason and treachery in a YouTube video. Chris Hipkins, who was speaking on Sunday after MPs from his ruling Labour Party voted unanimously to endorse him, said a “small minority” of Kiwis were responsible for abusing Ms Ardern.
He said that “it does not represent who we are as a country”. Men had a responsibility to call out misogyny, he added.
He said he realised that putting himself forward as leader meant that he was “public property” - but that his family were not, and he wanted his children to have a “typical Kiwi kid life”.
Data released in June showed that threats against Ms Ardern had almost tripled over three years, and local media
reported that at least eight threats against her had entered the legal system - including the man who filmed the threatening YouTube video.
Police also had to investigate after handwritten fliers vowing to “eradicate” Ms Ardern were delivered to sev
eral homes in January 2022.
Radio New Zealand spoke to a former intelligence worker, Paul Buchanan, who said he believed Ms Ardern would need more ongoing security and protection than any former New Zealand prime minister.