Jacinda Ardern has celebrated one year as New Zealand‘s Prime Minister and to mark the occasion, her partner Clarke Gayford has shared never-before-seen photos of the moment Ardern became the nation’s leader.
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Gayford shared the before-and-after photos to his Twitter and captioned the pair:
“A year ago today @wintonpeters made a bold call that changed EVERYTHING. We watched on TV like everyone else, except I pointed a camera the other way. Here’s a before and after that’s never been seen. What an incredible year it has been, what a year ahead. Welcome to the ride.”
The “bold call” is in reference to when now-Deputy PM and Leader of New Zealand First, Winston Peters, decided to form government with Labour over the National party, the final decider.
A year ago today @winstonpeters made a bold call that changed EVERYTHING. We watched on TV like everyone else, except I pointed a camera the other way. Here’s a before and after thats never been seen.
What an incredible year it has been, what a year ahead.
Welcome to the ride. pic.twitter.com/ytjwajSzmn— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) October 19, 2018
Per the New Zealand Herald, a spokesperson for Ardern confirmed these were the first public photos from the room that night – the opposition lounge.
In a speech made in September, Ardern spoke about the night she learned she would become prime minister:
The night that I stood in my office and waited as the whole nation did, for the now Deputy Prime Minister to make the announcement as to who New Zealand First would form a government with.
Clarke filmed my face.
It’s not the most flattering piece of footage. It’s fair to say I’m looking a bit anxious. Almost a bit sweaty.
I’m standing near the couch in the opposition lounge watching the television. There are a group of MPs and staff around me. You can hear on the television the speech that the Deputy Prime Minister is making, as the camera stays fixated on my face. There is a sudden moment of realisation in my expression. It’s not the moment where the government is announced, it’s before that. It’s the moment Winston talks about the things that I believe in too. I smile, and realise that we are going to have the chance to change everything.
