VOWS CHANGE
out its full term, despite longstanding tensions between junior coalition partners the Greens and New Zealand First (NZF).
NZF leader Winston Peters and the Greens have a rocky history, which descended into namecalling earlier this year when the environmentalists said the 72year-old’s anti-immigration rhetoric was racist.
Ardern said the three groups could work together and that she had faith in Peters, an outspoken maverick whose 40-year career has been punctuated by controversy.
She said Peters, whose declaration of support for Ardern on Thursday tipped the election her way, successfully joined a Labour-led coalition in 2005.
“Labour has been in an agreement with NZF before... Peters and NZF were a party of their word, that provided stability and we delivered,” she said.
Ardern, who took over the Labour leadership less than three months ago and is now set to become New Zealand’s youngest leader since 1856, said she was still processing her meteoric rise.
“I probably need a bit of time for quiet reflection before it all sinks in, but for now it’s straight to the grindstone,” she told TV3.
Ardern said she had received congratulations from Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Britain’s Theresa May and Canada’s Justin Trudeau.
But she kept the celebrations low-key after ending Labour’s nine years in the wilderness.
“I headed straight back to my studio apartment and had a pot of noodles,” she said. AFP