Chris Hipkins has been sworn in as the 41st prime minister of New Zealand. A week after Jacinda Ardern’s surprising departure, the 44-year-old was formally named to the position in Wellington.
Ms. Ardern, age 42, stated that she no longer has “enough left in the tank” to govern the nation. Cindy Kiro, the country’s governor-general, formally resigned on Wednesday.
Mr. Hipkins earned a name as the minister who led the Covid-19 initiative in New Zealand.
Mr. Hipkins got overwhelming backing from the ruling Labour Party caucus over the weekend to be elevated to the position of prime minister. He now faces an uphill battle to retain power in the October general elections.
According to public opinion polls, his party is less popular than its conservative opponent, the National Party.
The five-million-person nation was among the first to close its borders. This action garnered praise for keeping New Zealand virus-free early in the epidemic, but subsequently, Kiwis became weary of the zero-tolerance strategy that led to statewide lockdowns for a single infection.
Mr. Hipkins already acknowledged that stringent lockdowns need to have been loosened sooner.
Mr. Hipkins held the hefty ministerial posts of education, police, and public service most recently.
According to Reuters, the “Chippy”-nicknamed the father of two stated that his political aim is to “ensure that we create opportunities for all Kiwis who want to work hard, to be able to work hard and get ahead and provide a better life for themselves and their families.”
Wednesday will be his first cabinet meeting
Ms. Ardern concluded her final day in government by traveling with legislators and Maori elders to Ratana, a small hamlet north of Wellington. She declared that she was prepared to be a backbencher, a sibling, and a mother.
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