New Zealand’s new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and his Depute Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni attend their first press conference at Parliament in Wellington on January 22, 2023. AFPPIX: New Zealand’s incoming prime minister Chris Hipkins criticised the “abhorrent” treatment endured by Jacinda Ardern and vowed on Sunday to shield his own family, three days after her shock resignation.
Politicians and other public figures have lined up to criticise the “vitriol” Ardern was subjected to as prime minister, notably on social media, although she did not mention it herself. “I have seen the enormous scrutiny and pressure placed on Jacinda and her family and so my response will be to keep my family completely out of the spotlight,“ he said.Ardern said she had been exhausted after leading New Zealand through the Covid-19 pandemic, its deadliest terror attack and a volcanic eruption
New Zealand under his leadership will switch its focus from Covid-19 to bolstering the economy, Hipkins said. Hipkins also announced the country will have its first deputy prime minister of Pacific island descent, Carmel Sepuloni.