Ardern vows to quit if she loses New Zealand election
WELLINGTON AFP OCT15, 2020 - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday she will step down as leader of the centre-left Labour Party if opinion polls prove wrong and she loses Saturday’s general election.
The prospect appears remote, with Labour enjoying a 15 point lead in the polls, but Ardern responded with a firm “No” when asked during a televised debate whether she would remain as opposition leader if the vote does not go her way.
The 40-year-old, who has led New Zealand through a string of crises in the past three years culminating in the Covid-19 pandemic, said her commitment to the job had demanded sacrifice.
“I never take for granted that I’m here. i give my everything,” she said.