Race on to replace Ardern as New Zealand prime minister

As a small group of candidates emerged for the top job, the sudden resignation of Jacinda Ardern sparked a push on Friday for New Zealand to select its first Maori prime minister.

On Thursday, Ardern, a global figurehead for progressive politics, shocked New Zealand by announcing her abrupt resignation, less than three years after winning a landslide election for a second term.

The 42-year-old, who led the nation through its worst terror attack, the Covid pandemic, and natural disasters, said she no longer had "enough in the tank."

With no clear successor, Ardern resigned, and her ruling Labour Party is now scrambling to find one.

On Sunday, Labour lawmakers will attempt to select the next prime minister, with the winner requiring two-thirds of the vote.

In the event that that does not occur, it will develop into a prolonged contest involving affiliated unions and regular party members.

After Ardern's deputy Grant Robertson swiftly ruled himself out of the race, Chris Hipkins, 44, is the early frontrunner.

The mix also includes Immigration Minister Michael Wood and Justice Minister Kiri Allan, one of Labour's most senior Maori MPs.

So far, none of the three have said that they will challenge the vote.

Prime Minister of Maori?

It has been suggested that Allan, a former commercial lawyer who entered parliament in 2017, could be the first Maori prime minister in New Zealand.

After receiving a diagnosis of stage 3 cervical cancer in April 2021, she was compelled to take leave from parliament, but she resumed her employment just three months later.

It is anticipated that Labour's 15-member Maori caucus will have a significant say in selecting the next leader.

In the most recent census conducted in the country, approximately 17% of the five million people living there identified as Maori.

Kelvin Davis, a powerful Labour minister, stated, "Obviously we'd love for there to be a Maori prime minister one day."

Willie Jackson, a former co-chair of Labour's Maori caucus, stated that participating in those discussions was crucial.

He stated, "We're talking about our nation's prime minister, so we want to play a part."

The Maori Party, also known as Te Pati Maori, is running for office in the special Maori electorates. Additionally, it stated that a Maori-born prime minister was necessary.

Co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi said in a statement, "Anything less will be taking Aotearoa (New Zealand) backwards from Jacinda Ardern."

"Slept well": The well-known Hipkins is thought to be safe because he has handled difficult portfolios like Covid-19 response, education, and the police.

He has been described as "sensible, likeable, tough, and capable" by political commentator Josie Pagani.

Wood is the third person who has come up so far.

The 42-year-old has a lot of support in the union movement and was in charge of raising New Zealand's minimum wage.

Ardern's government would struggle to maintain power, according to a new opinion poll that was conducted prior to her announcement and was released on Friday.

Ardern stated that although she had "slept well for the first time in a long time," her decision to resign was "tinged with sadness."

Political commentators have gathered to condemn the abuse that Ardern received on social media before she resigned.

Helen Clark, a former prime minister of New Zealand, stated that Ardern had "faced a level of hatred and vitriol" that had never been seen before in the country.