January 24, 2023
The Queen is dead, long live the Queen
The Queen is dead, long live the Queen
It is with a deeply heavy heart that many of us return to election year 2023 after Jacinda Ardern’s surprise resignation.
It’s not just that she resigned, it’s the reason why she felt she had to resign.
While Jacinda Ardern will never acknowledge the toxic hatred spat at her as the reason she is stepping down, you only get burnt out as badly as she has when abuse and threats are an ongoing reality.
It is sickening that someone with as much passion, empathy and kindness is left with nothing left to give.
As a Prime Minister she saved us from a mass death event like Covid and she led with courage during the terrorist attack while becoming a symbol of a different kind of leadership.
Jacinda made kindness, empathy and compassion political strengths in a male dominated culture without losing any authority.
Every woman who is important to me stands 2 inches taller thanks to Jacinda’s leadership. I’ve seen her impact on my Daughter and her friends and I rejoice at the new horizons Jacinda set for the next generation.
Jacinda’s staunch support of Māori saw a new National Holiday, the revitalisation of te Reo and most importantly over the last 5 years saw $3.5Billion in extra funding for Māori!
There were many policy disappointments however. Governing is very different from winning an election and the lack of real transformative change hasn’t helped our community and whanau as well as we had all hoped.
And that’s the true sadness of Jacinda’s time as Prime Minister, there was so much potential and promise in her leadership that didn’t live up to the service provided.
Child Poverty, meaningful environmental policy, mental health, crime, Housing and Social Housing all remain issues to solve as the country plunges into an economic recession.
Jacinda, Clarke and Neve have earned the privacy they should now be given and the rest of us should be forced to reflect how our public debate has turned so toxic.
Criticism of policy and politicians is fine and healthy in a democracy, naked malice, spite, threats and abuse however are tools that kill off a democracy.
Jacinda couldn’t do it all but she will be forever remembered for trying.
Kia kaha Jacinda.
Martyn Bradbury
Editor – TheDailyBlog.nz
twitter.com/CitizenBomber
Radio Waatea and its board would like to advise that the opinions expressed in t his article are those of Martyn ‘Bomber Bradbury’ and not necessarily the views of Radio Waatea, its Management or its Board.