Mixed views in Mt Albert

Jacinda Ardern’s rise received a mixed reaction in her Mt Albert electorate, with one woman now more likely to vote Labour.

A Herald Focus visit to gauge reaction found the woman who had been leaning towards the Greens now planning to vote Labour.

“I think it will be a good change for Labour to have a woman,” she said.

Another voter said Ardern was fit for the role, bright and vivacious.

Others weren’t persuaded, with one man saying Labour didn’t know what it was doing and he would be voting for Winston Peters.

A snap nzherald.co.nz online poll found that 43 per cent of more than 5300 responses would now consider switching to Labour. ment as a list MP. She lost narrowly to Nikki Kaye in Auckland Central in 2011 and 2014. After moving to Mt Albert with her partner, broadcaster Clarke Gayford, she won the Mt Albert byelection in February that was prompted by David Shearer’s resignation.

Her strong showing there prompted speculation she would become a contender for deputy leader.

After Annette King stood down as deputy leader, Ardern was elected to the position unopposed by Labour’s caucus.

She is spokeswoman for justice, children, arts, culture and heritage, and small business, and associate spokeswoman for Auckland issues.

Ardern has steadily risen in preferred PM polls, outdoing Little, and is the highest-ranked Opposition MP by chief executives surveyed in the Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom.