New Zealand: Chris Hipkins to replace Jacinda Ardern as next PM
2 min read . Updated: 21 Jan 2023, 05:45 AM IST
PremiumNew Zealand Labour Party's sole candidate Chris Hipkins will replace Jacinda Ardern as the next New Zealand Prime Minister
Chris Hipkins is set to replace Jacinda Ardern as leader of the Labour party and New Zealand's prime minister after being the only candidate to be nominated for the role, the Labour Party said in a statement.
Hipkins is expected to be confirmed as the new leader at a meeting of Labour's 64 lawmakers, or Caucus, on Sunday.
First elected to parliament for the Labour Party in 2008, the 44-year-old Hipkins became a household name fronting the government's response to the pandemic after being appointed minister for COVID-19 in November 2020.
Hipkins is currently minister for police, education and public service, as well as leader of the House.
In a surprise announcement on Thursday, Ardern said she had "no more in the tank" to lead the country and would step down and not seek re-election.
The shocking decision from Ardern comes after five and a half years of tenure leading New Zealand through the coronavirus pandemic.
Ardern said she knew what the prime minister's job took and believed she "no longer had enough in the tank to do it justice" but there were colleagues who could.
She said her Government had achieved a lot and she was not standing down because she did not believe Labour could win the next election, but because she thought it could.
Speaking to the media, Ardern said there was no special "angle" or "real reason" why she wanted to resign, only that she was "human".
"To Neve, mum is looking forward to being there when you start school next year. To Clarke, let's finally get married."
A Horizon Research snap poll obtained by local media organization Stuff on Friday showed that Hipkins was the most popular potential candidate among voters, with the backing of 26% of those surveyed.
'Tough and capable'
Ardern said her decision to step down was "tinged with sadness" but after having made the announcement she had "slept well for the first time in a long time".
Political commentators have lined up to condemn the social media abuse that was increasingly directed at Ardern before her resignation.
Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark said Ardern had "faced a level of hatred and vitriol" that was "unprecedented in our country".
Her successor is widely seen as a safe pair of hands with more than 14 years in parliament.
Political commentator Josie Pagani has described Hipkins as "sensible, likeable, tough and capable".
There was no immediate reaction to Hipkins' win from the country's main opposition National Party.
The right-wing ACT Party urged him to "deliver on substance instead of snowing New Zealand with spin", criticising his party's record on the number of welfare recipients, rising food prices and a tight labour market.