- Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivers an emotional address to parliament
- Jacinda Ardern declared earlier this year that she would resign as New Zealand's prime minister
- Ardern leaves politics citing a lack of "fuel in the tank"
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern left parliament on Wednesday, concluding a career defined by empathetic leadership during times of crisis despite growing online harassment.
Ardern stunned New Zealand earlier this year when she announced her resignation as prime minister and departure from politics, citing a lack of "enough in the tank."
Jacinda Ardern Valedictory Speech
In her final statement to parliament, the 42-year-old, once the youngest female leader in the world, stated that she never anticipated holding the nation's highest office. She joked at her commencement speech, "It was a cross between a sense of duty to steer a moving freight train... and being hit by one."
Ardern navigated New Zealand through natural catastrophes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2019 Christchurch mosque tragedy, in which a white supremacist shooter murdered 51 Muslim worshipers. NDTV reports that Ardern devoted much of her address to climate change and urged the nation's parties to work together.
"Climate change is a crisis. It is upon us," she stated.
"And so one of the very few things I will ask of this house on my departure is that you please take the politics out of climate change," she continued.
Ardern will now dedicate herself to eradicating online extremism as part of the Christchurch Call initiative, which she established as prime minister following the mosque attack. Ardern made international headlines when, at 37, she became the world's youngest female government leader. She gave birth while serving as New Zealand's leader and even brought her baby to a United Nations conference.
Although she was well-liked internationally, rising costs, crime, and controversial policies in New Zealand weakened her support. According to WION, Ardern stated in her address that she became involved in people's lives "at their most grief-stricken or traumatic moments" due to the chain of events.
Ardern, the daughter of a police officer, school canteen worker, and a self-described "hugger and crier," said she hoped her career would encourage others to stand for politics.
Former New Zealand PM Becomes Emotional During Her Speech
As she spoke about visiting survivors in the early aftermath of the mosque terror attacks, Ardern grew emotional and addressed Muslim community members seated in the public gallery with "Salamu Alaikum."
In her first speech to the New Zealand parliament, Ardern emphasized her political commitments, most notably the specter of child poverty and New Zealand's clean, green reputation, and stated that her words would return to haunt her.
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the defining challenges of her administration, and she cited New Zealand's overall results - including the lowest excess death rates in the world - as one of her most significant accomplishments. Yet, she also discussed the rifts that arose around that time, culminating in anti-vaccine campaigns and rallies.
Around this time, Ardern received several death threats and a near-constant stream of violent, nasty speech from extremist groups. She stated, "We did lose other items along the road."
She described being challenged on the job by irate protestors and her initial confidence that she might convince them to abandon their more extreme Covid conspiracy claims.
"But, after many such instances and witnessing the wrath that typically fueled these conspiracies, I was forced to admit I was wrong," she added.
On Tuesday, Ardern said she hoped her resignation would "cool down" New Zealand politics. This heat had been a recurrent element of Ardern's appearances throughout her final year in government - both the fever level of violent occupation of parliament grounds in 2022 and more fragmented, frequently nasty demonstrations that followed her to primary schools and speeches.
On the afternoon of her address, however, no protestors were present on the grounds of parliament. Per The Guardian, lawmakers and the public rose to chant waiata - traditional Mori songs - as she departed to loud applause and singing.
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