NZ PM returns after maternity leave

WELLINGTON: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returned to Parliament yesterday to run her first cabinet meeting, six weeks after giving birth to her daughter, becoming only the second elected leader to do so in office.

Ministers applauded as Ardern entered the cabinet meeting room and took her place beside Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, thanking him for running the country, allowing her to become its first premier to take maternity leave when in office.

“The last six weeks have been wonderful not only because of the birth of our daughter, but because we have been gifted by this cabinet, by the people of New Zealand, this time together,” Ardern said.

“It’s really, really nice to be back amongst you all. Shall we get on with it?”

Ardern’s daughter, Neve Te Aroha, did not accompany her to the meeting. But steps to make Parliament more baby-friendly allowed her to cuddle with her mother during debates and swim in the legislators’ pool.

Many see the 38-year-old premier’s pregnancy as symbolising progress for women in leadership roles, as, in giving birth while in office, she followed Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

Ardern officially returned to work on Thursday from her home in Auckland and flew to the capital on Saturday to be greeted by a high school choir at the airport, where she spoke to reporters with the baby asleep in her arms.