The former prime minister of New Zealand has been made a Dame by the Prince of Wales despite being a republican.

Freya5
I think you're right.
It's easier to prevent disease spreading in the first place is you have a small population spread thinly throughout the land.
The UK population density in 2022 was 279 per square km. New Zealand's is 20 per square km.

My cousin lives an hour's drive from Auckland. Both she and her husband are in their 70s and have health issues, which over here would have classed them as in the vulnerable group.
They waited months for a vaccine to be made available and in the end resorted to obtaining it through a doctor friend.

I don't know enough about NZ politics to pronounce judgement on Ardern's premiership. What I do know from my visit there in 2020, is that she was extremely unpopular. Nobody I met had anything good to say about her.

Principles eh? If you don't like them, I have others…

It was the NZ government who put her name forward for the award. She tanked the NZ economy by the hardest lockdown outside China ( eg shutting down Auckland, a city of 1.7 million) for three ( yes, three) cases of suspected Covid.

Chardy

I don't know enough about NZ politics to know if there's mess to clear up. But NZ have lost 10 people per 1,000 to Covid (up Apr 2024), while UK lost 35 per 1,000.
Ardern showed leadership in the aftermath of the Christchurch shootings
I think she was a fine PM

Uhm. Could that be because the population density in NZ is much less than in the UK?

Marilla

I do admire Jucinda Arden. The New Zealand lock down was tough and lasted longer than the UK lockdown. She met with fierce opposition in putting forward policies to improve life for the less fortunate in NZ society. She became a mother during her premiership and led her country with intelligence, grace and dignity. I was surprised by her accepting the honour as she is a republican. I have no answer to her decision.
However, if the world had more leaders like Jacinda, it might be a happier and less toxic place to exist,

I agree

I do admire Jucinda Arden. The New Zealand lock down was tough and lasted longer than the UK lockdown. She met with fierce opposition in putting forward policies to improve life for the less fortunate in NZ society. She became a mother during her premiership and led her country with intelligence, grace and dignity. I was surprised by her accepting the honour as she is a republican. I have no answer to her decision.
However, if the world had more leaders like Jacinda, it might be a happier and less toxic place to exist,

Cossy

Well I’d swap ANY of our recent PMs for Jacinda! Dame or not!

Not for long, she became very unpopular, if she hadn’t resigned she would have been voted out.

Well I’d swap ANY of our recent PMs for Jacinda! Dame or not!

I think she has connections with several members of the RF in various ways apart from the pandemic. Maybe we should look at her overall achievements. I guess she brought up the Republican issue herself because she wanted the award!

It was easy for NZ to lock down they didn’t have millions of residents overseas, the UK locking down in that way just wasn’t practical.

maddyfour

Seems a bit hypocritical to accept if she’s a republican.

Agreed.

Seems a bit hypocritical to accept if she’s a republican.

Isn't she another woman who doesn't know what a woman is? Backed the transgender Laurel Hubbard because it was easier than backing biological women. A surprising stance for someone who has been pregnant and gone through giving birth, but heyho if it makes you popular......

We were in NZ during the lockdown. We were really impressed by the calm and decisive leadership Jacinda Ardern showed. We were horrified when we saw the waffling indecisive actions of Boris, Cummings et al.

I don't know enough about NZ politics to know if there's mess to clear up. But NZ have lost 10 people per 1,000 to Covid (up Apr 2024), while UK lost 35 per 1,000.
Ardern showed leadership in the aftermath of the Christchurch shootings
I think she was a fine PM