PM: Gran may have been a critic
''I've just got to ... show people I can get on with the job."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she accepts that not everyone supports her decision to have a baby in office – and admits even her own grandmother may have been among the critics if she was still alive.
Ardern dropped the pregnancy bombshell on Friday and there has been an outpouring mostly of support. Congratulatory Labour MPs gathered at a boutique winery in Martinborough on Sunday – and one of their first agenda items was to re-elect Ardern as Labour leader, a vote required by the Labour Party constitution.
MPs meet for the next two days to thrash out a 300-day plan and tick off the last remaining items on Labour’s 100-day plan, with the milestone arriving in early February.
Ardern has confirmed partner Clarke Gayford will be the primary carer when their baby is born in June, though she will take six weeks off after the birth.
NZ First leader Winston Peters will run the country in her absence but Ardern says she will be in regular contact.
That has not gone down well with everyone – among the critics is Britain’s Mail on Sunday columnist Liz Jones who said Ardern can’t do both.
Ardern told reporters on Sunday she accepted that was the view of some people.
‘‘Look everyone’s going to have their own view; I’ve come into this absolutely knowing and appreciating that. All I can do is give the assurance I take my role as prime minister incredibly seriously.
‘‘I will be fulfilling the mandate I have.’’
But there were likely some people who would ‘‘wait and see’’.
‘‘It’s people’s views and, you know, if my grandmother was still here she might be one of the people expressing that view. I accept there’s a whole range of takes from different individuals. I don’t take that personally. I’ve just got to get on with it and show people I can get on with the job.’’
Ardern confirmed, meanwhile, that she would donate part of her salary to Plunket to reflect her ‘‘special circumstances’’.
She and Gayford were yet to sit down and work out the details but it would be an acknowledgement that her job would be ‘‘downscaled’’ for a few weeks.