JACINDA ARDERN “You don’t have to be perfect to be Prime Minister”
It’s a slight running joke that Jacinda Ardern is not one for introspection – not because she doesn’t see the value of it, but because at this stage of her life, there just isn’t time. The New Zealand Prime Minister has inadvertently become quite an expert in one-upping her previous year. And of course, 2019 has been no different. “It’s been a big one,” Jacinda admits. “But it’s been rewarding.”
In the weeks before Christmas, The Weekly has a brief but action-packed opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with the NZ Prime Minister to talk about the personal and public challenges of the past 12 months, her hopes for the coming year and her plans for the holidays. This year, Jacinda, her fiancé Clarke Gayford and their toddler Neve will be in the seaside town of Gisborne, surrounded by loved ones.
“The lovely thing about Christmas this year is my family are going to come over and be there with Clarke’s family. So my mum and dad, and my sister and her husband, and all my nieces and nephews will be there, which is really lovely. We’ll all be there together, so we won’t have to do a split Christmas.”
Neve, at 18 months, is turning into exactly the kind of child you would imagine a charismatic world leader and a popular television presenter to have: full of personality.
“With a father like Clarke, that was always going to be inevitable,” Jacinda says, smiling. “One of the things I’ve found most rewarding about this year is that she’s just developed … She’s her
