New Zealand Picks New Prime Minister

By Staff, Agencies

New Zealand’s ruling Labor Party on Saturday nominated Chris Hipkins to be the next prime minister. The former head of the Pacific nation’s COVID-19 response is expected to take over once PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation takes effect next month.

Hipkins, 44, currently heads the ministries of education, police, and public service, but came to prominence in 2020 as the minister of health. Ardern appointed Hipkins to the newly created ministry of COVID-19 response in November 2020, a post he held until July last year. The party’s parliamentary caucus is expected to formally approve him on Sunday.

Though it was speculated that Labor might pick Justice Minister Kiri Allan to be the country’s first Maori PM, Hipkins was reportedly the only nominee to succeed Ardern. Allan has issued a statement praising Hipkins as “decisive” and said he would be “an incredibly strong prime minister.”

The Green Party, whose 10 MPs generally support the Labor majority in the parliament, said it looks forward to working with him to “end poverty, take bold climate action and protect our native wildlife.”

While the opposition National Party has not yet commented on the choice, the crossbench ACT urged Hipkins to “deliver on substance instead of snowing New Zealand with spin” like his predecessor.

First elected in 2008, Hipkins represents Remutaka, an electorate in the suburbs of the capital, Wellington. The electorate has the dubious distinction of having the highest percentage of clerical and administrative workers among the voters in New Zealand.