Home is where heart is for Jacinda
Many years ago while attending an RSA Anzac parade, Gary Craig says he was privileged to see a young lady present a speech about soldiers who went to war and those who didn’t come home.
‘‘From someone so young, it was a very profound and deeply emotional talk,’’ he said.
‘‘At the time, I told everyone who would listen that one day she would be the Prime Minister of New Zealand.’’
The year was 1998 and that young lady was Labour leader Jacinda Ardern.
Ardern is the lady in red of the moment.
The Jacinda effect, Jacindamania whatever you want to call it, Ardern is taking the country by storm in one of the most tumultuous times New Zealand politics has seen in the past 10 years.
Morrinsville is one of Ardern’s safe places, where she can be herself with people who know her and her story.
It is a place she can feel comfortable away from the unforgiving world of politics.
She stepped out of her shiny BMWcar, and stood in front of the college that she credits with shaping her.
For a person who makes a living from talking, she didn’t have to say a word.
The expression of calm on her face it all.
‘‘Morrinsville is my home, my turangawaewae. This is where I grew up, it’s also where my family is from,’’ she said.
While at Morrinsville College, Ardern learned the art of having a voice and being a ‘‘pragmatic idealist’’.
As student representative on Morrinsville College’s Board of Trustees, she fought for the right for girls to wear pants during winter.
‘‘It was a victory for nice, warm legs,’’ she said.
Principal John Inger said it didn’t take long to work out that Ardern was a smart, articulate and strong-willed young woman who was going places.
‘‘You continue to celebrate where you’re from and your roots and we are delighted to have you back,’’ he said.
On her 14th birthday and armed with her CV, Ardern rocked into Grant and Carol Covich’s Golden Kiwi fish and chip shop and asked for a job.
This was where she learned how to run a business, chase robbers down the street and wrap a scoop of chips by practising with a cabbage.
Clearly moved by Ardern’s decision to stop in at their familyowned shop, Carol couldn’t contain her pride as tears rolled down her face.
‘‘I don’t usually get emotional, but it was so good to see Jacinda and how far she has come.’’
For Ardern it would have been a far cry from 2008, while campaigning on Thames St as the Labour candidate for the Waikato electorate, where she got the ‘‘middle finger’’ more than the ‘‘thumbs up’’.
This time, staunch Labour supporters and friends waited for Ardern outside Golden Kiwi, and a car park space was even reserved for her on Thames St.
After a cup of Golden Kiwi’s world famous chowder, her most important mission while back in town was a quick catch up with her grandparents.
‘‘I learned a huge number of life lessons here,’’ Ardern said.
‘‘Growing up in Morrinsville taught me so many things, it taught me to be optimistic, pragmatic, to stick up for the minority and give them a voice but most of all it taught me the value of respect - respect for everyone.’’