Monitoring Desk
WELLINGTON: New Zealand Education Minister and Labour party parliamentarian Chris Hipkins is all set to replace Jacinda Ardern as the new prime minister after becoming the only candidate for the party’s leadership.
Hipkins was first elected to New Zealand parliament in 2008 and was appointed as minister for the Covid-19 pandemic in November 2020.
In a shock announcement on Thursday, Jacinda Ardern said she did not have much in the tank to lead the country.
How long Chris Hipkins will be in office is still being determined as New Zealand holds a general election in October.
Mr Hipkins, 44, is currently the minister for education, police, and public service.
He will still need to be officially endorsed by the Labour Party in the parliament on Sunday before becoming a leader.
Governor to appoint Hipkins as prime minister after February 7
Should he receive that backing, Jacinda Ardern will formally tender her resignation from the post to the governor-general on 7 February, who will then – on behalf of King Charles III – appoint Mr Chris Hipkins as prime minister.
But the incoming Labour leader faces an uphill battle if he wants to remain in the top job after the 2023 election.
Inflation and increasing social inequality saw Ms Ardern’s popularity fall to all-time lows, according to opinion polls.
They also suggested public approval of the country’s Labour Party was similarly low.
Mr Hipkins’ appointment removes the immediate possibility of Justice Minister Kiri Allan becoming the country’s first Maori prime minister.
During her resignation announcement, Ms Ardern – who at 37 became the youngest female head of government in the world when she took office in 2017 – said the past five-and-a-half years had been the “most fulfilling” of her life.
