Ardern tells of her dad’s cancer fight

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has told the Woman’s Weekly her father, Ross Ardern, has recovered from cancer.

‘‘It just reminds you what’s really most important and that’s to spend as much quality time together as you can,’’ Ardern told the magazine.

Her father’s bout of cancer, which he had recovered from, had left her with the ‘‘enduring lesson’’ that such time with her ‘‘tight-knit’’ family was important.

She said she planned to spend Christmas – the only decent break of the year she would have – and summer in New Zealand with her family. The Covid-19 pandemic had ‘‘showed’’ Ardern ‘‘how much I enjoy having summer in New Zealand’’.

Though Ardern’s father had recovered, kidney surgery as part of cancer treatment had left him with a hernia.

‘‘That’s limiting for him and how active he can be,’’ Ardern said.

Ardern’s father was a former police officer and diplomat, serving as the high commissioner to Niue and the administrator of Tokelau.

Ross and Ardern’s mother, Laurell, in 2018 said they were ‘‘so excited’’ that their prime minister daughter had a child, Neve.

‘‘This will be our third [grandchild], so it is exciting,’’ Laurell said.