Jacinda Ardern lets the side down

Urmstongran

She’s Drakeford in a dress. Too much ‘nanny state’ and locking down to the point she felt she had all the answers. She didn’t. And a lot of Kiwi’s have paid a hefty price for her hubris.

That’s not the point though, it’s not about her politics. The post said that in resigning she had let the side down. To resign takes self awareness and courage, it’s not the easy option. It’s a very rare politician who demonstrates self awareness and shows their human side by showing some humility when they resign.

And surely by taking that decision she is showing herself to be just like the rest of us when enough is enough, not just saying it like so many politicians do.

A former work colleague, a NZ national, back there for decades, who I thought might find Ardern a bit left wing, has always been very positive about Ardern, and implied others are too.

She is being held responsible for lots of things, starting with shutting down NZ during Covid, ( I remember all the praise there was over here for her action).
Now they are saying that shutting down the country so strictly, left NZ people vulnerable, comparing NZ to China.
If she feels she can’t do the job, well done for saying so. If she believes she would not have been re-elected, well done for saving the country from wasting money on her election campaign.
It’s another example of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” which is so commonly applied nowadays.

There is still tremendous support for Jacinda here, enough to afford her another term, who’s to say. I have no doubt Labour’s handling of the pandemic was not wholeheartedly approved of, BUT it did keep many many thousands of us safe until vaccines were available, and kept our health system (bruised) but still working.

I’m not a political person, but I applaud her qualities of kindness, her empathy and strength during a period of time few of her predecessors could have imagined. I personally cannot see Labour furnishing a prospective successor atm equal to her …time will tell.

I read that the hate and vitriol she has received on line etc has been unprecedented, I’m ashamed there are those amongst us that think it’s ok to be obnoxious whilst safely hidden behind a screen, so ready to criticise whilst never being brave enough to show their identity, neither knowing the woman nor walking any distance in her shoes. So, so, easy to find fault at distance.

I wonder what the future holds for her, I’ll be watching with interest, she has still much to contribute.

I thank her for a job well done, I wish her and her family well.

New Zealand has an election every three years although the last time there was a one term government was 1972, so it seems to work for them.

Having said that both the UK government and the USA government are hoping things will have improved before their elections. It seems really unfortunate to me that JA has hit the curve when it looks worse than both the Tories in the UK and the Democrats in the US hope it will be for them (who knows!)

I hope she will be remembered for her strong leadership.

Mollys right you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t There are a lot in NZ against her policies and her big old lock down which only delayed the inevitable I know my family over there felt the delay in vaccines (they still haven’t had the amount we have) hit their industry badly however we are not happy with how we did it either and I don’t think we have the right to compare two totally different countries NZ the size of uk with not even the population of London which would have been so much easier to control
But you have to admire someone who knows when it’s the right time to leave and not hang on and on for the sake of it
I wish some of ours would do the same

She’s let the side down by being too emotional about it.
Come out, say you can’t cope/ going before you’re pushed/ whatever - and say it without crying.
She’s supposed to be a world leader.

I 've read the comments pn this thread and I do wonder, why do right wing people have to be so mean spirited.?

First off, whose side has she let down? What a Nasty headline.

I’ve just watched her on the news. She seems a genuine lady. I thought she looked quite thin and pale. Maybe she’s just had enough and nobody, least of all other women, should condemn her for that. I hope she has a happy life with her child and partner.

Oh God forbid a world leader should cry!
That's exactly what was good about her she brought to the job care and compassion, she's leaving because she recognises her own limits. Far from letting the side down she's set the standard for feminism in power.
Men just wait to be pushed, and still don't realise their own limitations.

I disagree.

She hasn't let the side down and vickymeldrew has acknowledged that she made a poor choice of words in the OP.

It takes strength to admit that you have given your all and have nothing more to give. Better to admit that than to carry on and collapse from exhaustion or to only do half a job.

Staying on when she was not able to give 100% would be letting the side down.

In fact, some politicians never give their all to their jobs. Perhaps they could take a lesson or two from Jacinda.

My post was in response to Kadinsky's
Other posts appeared in between while I was typing.

Kandinsky

She’s let the side down by being too emotional about it.
Come out, say you can’t cope/ going before you’re pushed/ whatever - and say it without crying.
She’s supposed to be a world leader.

Most people I know have been emotional when leaving a job they enjoy, and no shame at all in that.

She has been an empathetic leader and shown that there is room for kindness and humanity even at the top of politics.
I wish there was a bit more of it on GN sometimes.

I wish her well, and I'm sure she will enjoy doing the school run as she mentioned. Family first - good for her.

‘Let the side down’ - what utter tosh! - Callistemon has says it well indeed.

Theresa May cried.

Margaret Thatcher cried.

Weren't they supposed to be world leaders? What a ridiculous thing to say.

varian

I 've read the comments pn this thread and I do wonder, why do right wing people have to be so mean spirited.?

Not this one, thank you very much!

Sorry GG, I should have said "some right wing people"

varian

Sorry GG, I should have said "some right wing people"

👍

Aha, my exaggeration thread did the trick!!

volver

Aha, my exaggeration thread did the trick!!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Jacinta has been looking unwell for a while. I believe she has worked hard and given her all and her health has suffered.
Good on her for not destroying herself. She led NZ through some difficult moments.
She is not as popular over here in NZ, the Labour government, was elected on huge promises which they haven’t been able to keep or haven’t bothered to keep. I am afraid the kindness and humanity of our Labour government has been just words not actions. Instead we have had other policies which weren’t in any election manifesto pursued despite huge opposition from the voting public.

She was amazing during the pandemic. Against all the odds she closed down the country and that saved many lives

Her government administered vaccines to all and thus even when the covid hit - and it did- the number of deaths was very low.

Whereas here in Britain the number of deaths from covid was topping 1000 a day including my DFiL I blame our very stupid government under Boris .

That is very true, I am very thankful to have been in NZ over that time.
Though NZ is a much easier place to shut down than the UK.

Theresa May cried.

Margaret Thatcher cried.

Point proven.
Maybe women are too emotional for politics.
Did Boris cry when he was booted out?