In a tear-jerking goodbye to the Beehive, former prime minister Jacinda Ardern recounted the spectacular highs and lows of her five years leading the country, as well as opening up about her struggle to become a mother.
“When I ran for Parliament in my twenties, I remember being afraid that I was choosing a path that meant I wouldn’t get to have children,” confessed the 42-year-old, now mother to Neve, four, with fiancé Clarke Gayford. “I experienced a failed IVF round when I became leader of the Labour Party. I thought that I found myself on a path that I wouldn’t be a mother. Rather than process that, I campaigned to become prime minister. Imagine my surprise when a couple of months later, I discovered I was pregnant!”
Jacinda admitted that she once sought advice on how to “harden up” from veteran politician Trevor Mallard, thinking she needed to change dramatically to be PM. But she learnt that, as a leader, “you can be anxious, sensitive, kind and wear your heart on your sleeve… and not only can you be here, but you can lead, just like me”.
