[jwplayer KpBBVrCj]
HELL. YEAH.
For anyone with a personal investment in the politics of our nearest and dearest neighbours, New Zealand, it’s been an absolutely wild few weeks.
Back in August, the NZ Labour Party elected their youngest ever leader, the 37-year-old Jacinda Ardern, and kicked off what came to be known as “Jacindamania“.
Taking over Labour’s election campaign just seven weeks before the country went to the polls, Ardern whipped New Zealand into a frenzy with her good-natured humour, down-to-earth practicality, and her side hustle as a DJ. Her platform emphasised sensible shit like education and housing, and she even promised to phase out uni fees (!).
But although she swung the vote for Labour from 25% in 2014 to 37% this year, she failed to win the party a majority against long-term PM, Nationals leader Bill English on September 25.
HOWEVER.
New Zealand’s political fate rests in the hands of one Winston Peters, who’s basically the Middle Earth version of Littlefinger (maybe slightly nicer). No shit – they call him the kingmaker.
He’s in charge of the NZ First party, a centrist bunch who have some fairly concerning social policies, and who have decided who gets to run the country since 1993 – by forming coalitions with either the National party or Labour and the Greens.
And this year, Peters backed Ardern.
He announced that NZ First would be choosing to ally with Labour in a televised press conference, and incredibly, that’s how Ardern discovered she’d be the next prime minister.
.@winstonpeters announces New Zealand First will form a coalition government with @nzlabour. MORE: https://t.co/W34Z8uTYSl pic.twitter.com/yLYomTG3Jo
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) October 19, 2017
It’s the first ever NZ election where the party forming government failed to get the highest share of the vote, and it’s going to be fascinating to watch how things go down from here.
Ardern is NZ’s third female prime minister, after National’s Jenny Shipley and the legendary Labour leader Helen Clark.
Jacinda’s win is a massive, massive deal, and a helluva good yarn, and oh my god, everyone is just so excited and SO AM I.
Welcome Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the youngest PM in 160 years. pic.twitter.com/Sh7CV9rxyv
— Joy Gribben (@joygribben1) October 19, 2017
We met with Jacinda Ardern on Election Day – she was in tracky-dacks and a flanno and painting her fence. She’s now Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/cJ0cB2iIsJ
— Charles Croucher (@ccroucher9) October 19, 2017
Congrats to Jacinda Ardern and the NZ Labour team. After many nail-biting days, a great result! – JG
— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillard) October 19, 2017
What Jacinda has achieved this year is frankly astonishing – won a by-election, became Dep Ldr, became Ldr, now to be PM. Wow.
— Julie Fairey (@juliefairey) October 19, 2017
Can all those who underestimated Jacinda please take a moment to reflect
— lindaclark1 (@lindaclark1) October 19, 2017
Did anyone else hear someone in the background of #Jacinda‘s speech reverently whisper “wow” #decision2017
— Elizabeth Heritage (@e_heritage) October 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/Bowl_Your_Face/status/920912824406228993
May we suggest this slice of Kiwiana to see you through the rest of this blessed, blessed night:
