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Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation today, New Zealand’s ruling Labour Party is looking for a new leader.
Ardern stated that she had “nothing left in the tank” to continue leading the country and that she would resign no later than early February and would not run for re-election.
On Sunday, the Labour Party will elect a new leader; the party leader will serve as Prime Minister until the next general election. Ardern’s term as Prime Minister will end on February 7, and a general election will take place on October 14.
Here are four Labour Party lawmakers who could become prime minister:
CHRIS HIPKINS
Chris Hipkins, who was first elected to parliament for the Labour Party in 2008, became a household name after being appointed minister for COVID-19 in November 2020.
Leading a response that was lauded around the world for leaving the country virus-free for the first half of 2021, criticism grew over harsh lockdowns as officials struggled to control a Delta outbreak that began in August 2021. The 44-year-old later stated that quarantine measures should have been reduced earlier.
Hipkins became Minister of Police in mid-2022, amidst a crime wave, after establishing a reputation for competence. He is also the Minister for Education and Public Service, as well as the Leader of the House.
Before entering parliament, Hipkins held several positions in politics. He worked as a senior adviser to two education ministers and in the office of former Prime Minister Helen Clark.
KIRI ALLAN
Kiri Allan, New Zealand’s Minister of Justice, would be the country’s first prime minister of Maori descent and its first openly gay leader if elected.
Allan, whose portfolio includes disaster management, was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in 2021, the same day a powerful earthquake off the country’s coast triggered tsunami warnings. She took a leave of absence to seek treatment before returning.
Before entering parliament in 2017, Allan worked as a manager in the agriculture industry, where he was heavily involved in new kiwi fruit development. She has also practiced commercial and public law in various parts of the country.
MICHAEL WOOD
Michael Wood, 42, has quickly risen through the Labour Party ranks since winning a landslide by-election victory in 2016.
Wood was appointed Minister of Transport and Workplace Safety in 2020 following Jacinda Ardern’s historic election victory, the best result for the Labour Party in half a century. In a mid-2020 cabinet reshuffle, he added Immigration to his portfolio. He served on Auckland’s city council before becoming a member of parliament. He also worked for the finance sector union.
NANAIA MAHUTA
Nanaia Mahuta, a veteran parliamentarian of 26 years, became New Zealand’s first female foreign minister following the 2020 election victory.
The 52-year-old has used her role to advocate a diplomatic middle ground for Pacific nations caught between the United States and China, saying late last year that the region is not “altogether comfortable with either superpower”.
Mahuta, a tribal member of Waikato-Tainui, Ngati Maniapoto, and Ngati Manu, has long championed Maori causes. She is the adopted sister of the late Maori queen and a respected Maori elder.
Mahuta has also served as the minister of local government, where he pushed through contentious legislation to change the ownership structure of the country’s water infrastructure.
