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What are you gonna do at school today?

Oh, I don't know.

Do you think they'll give you eclipse glasses?

- Oh, yeah. They told me. - Yeah, right.

Put on your seatbelt. Keep your hands to yourself.

- Okay, bye. - Okay, bye. Love you.

You'll be our future decision makers,

and leaders, and it must be quite daunting

looking out at the challenges that are in front of us.

There's so much change

that we want the world to be simple again.

And part of that oversimplification

is that we're much more inclined to look at one another

in binary ways.

Good, evil.

Bad, right.

It's meant that we've got a hyper-partisanship now

that I think can be really damaging.

It means we don't work together as much.

It means we don't listen and engage

in respectful debate that we need.

And if we are to get back to doing all of those things,

because we won't solve the climate crisis unless we do,

we won't solve the conflict in the Middle East unless we do,

we have to re-humanize one another again.

Recording identification,

this is an interview for the Political Diary Project.

It's an interview with Jacinda Ardern,

who's the deputy leader of the Labour Party.

It's being recorded on Monday 28th August, 2017.

Are you worried?

I mean, how long is it until the election?

Two months, let's say. Yeah.

Yep.

Labour is ready to win in 2017.

Labour's feeling the pressure

just eight weeks out from the election.

Two poll results in two days both have the party

on less than the 25 percent

Labour got at the last election...

All eyes have now turned

to the party's deputy leader, Jacinda Ardern.

This is your moment, Jacinda,

step up to the plate, or watch your party die.

There's a lot of talk about

you being the next leader of the Labour Party,

the next female prime minister.

- Do you want to be that person? - No.

And I absolutely support Andrew Little

to do that job, as opposed to me.

But everyone says it-- - Yes, but I mean it.

Good morning, everybody.

I've just confirmed to the Labour caucus

that I will step aside as leader of the Labour Party.

There's no question that the poll results

that came out last week were disturbing,

and very, very disappointing.

Moving at uncharacteristically high speed,

Labour completely changed its leadership team this morning

following three disastrous political polls.

Following Andrew's announcement this morning,

I was nominated to be leader of the Labour Party.

This team is about to run the campaign of our lives.

My whole journey in politics

has been a battle with two sides of myself.

The one that says, "You can't,"

and then the one that says, "But you have to."

I was 14 years old when someone first used

the term, "imposter syndrome."

And it was just like something clicked.

Suddenly, I had words to describe how I'd felt

for every speech competition I did,

or any challenge where I just had

a bit of a seed of doubt

and a fear that something might expose

that I shouldn't be there.

When I stood down there for that press conference,

I waited for someone to just stand up,

and say that outright. "Why you?"

And they did.

I'm happy to take questions. I'm sure there are many.

Yes, I am, Barry,

and my team would not have selected me

if they didn't believe that also.

Yes. Would you like to tell me why you don't think I can?

Oh, look, look, everyone knows that I've just accepted,

with short notice, the worst job in politics.

I had been in opposition for nine years.

I had held the justice portfolio,

the social development portfolio.

I'd held corrections, child protection,

small business, employment.

So, I had some experience behind me.

Did I come in with this view that I needed

to particularly bring my feminist leadership approach?

No, because I didn't actually anticipate being a leader.

It was a little bit of a shock to me seven weeks out

from a general election in New Zealand.

There was no time for me to redesign myself

in any particular way.

No one could come to me, and say,

"Well, we've polled, and focus-grouped,

and this is how you need to present yourself

if you're going to win the election."

There was none of that.

That meant I could only be myself.

I remember distinctly

when I took over as leader being told,

"Your job is just to save the furniture."

No one thought it was plausible that we could win.

Let's do this!

Are you with me?

- Yeah! - Let's do this!

We will remain relentlessly positive

because I do believe optimism and hope

is at our heart.

It is part of who we are as New Zealanders.

On election night, the outcome wasn't clear.

National has won 46 percent of the vote,

and a left-leaning coalition of Labour,

and the Greens, has 42 percent.

Both sides need Winston Peters

to get to a majority.

The anti-immigration populist holds all the cards

and will decide New Zealand's next prime minister.

I do not want to be seen to have made any compromise

to get into government that involves immigration.

- No. I one hundred percent support-- - That's my problem.

I have a real strong view on this.

Mm.

Mm.

Of course they wanna put us in a position to govern.

I think that we're the best opportunity

to make the change that New Zealanders need.

In two and a half hours possibly,

I'll know whether or not

I've successfully got Labour into government.

I have waves of incredible anxiety.

Not about losing, but about winning.

...and some fine weather. We've got all the details

coming up, right now at six o'clock.

Speculation mounting

that Winston Peters is about to announce

who'll form the next government.

We had a choice to make,

whether it was either with National or Labour,

for a modified status quo, all for change.

That's why in the end we chose a coalition government

of New Zealand First

with the New Zealand Labour Party.

♪ The bittersweet Between my teeth ♪

♪ Trying to find The in-between ♪

♪ Fall back In love eventually ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! ♪

It would be a bit overwhelming if I processed it properly

so instead, I just...

do all the things that need to get done.

Yep.

I'm not even 40.

You're not gonna force me to process this this morning.

I don't have time.

I'm not doing this right now.

Ms. Ardern, you have assured me

that you are able to form a government

that can command the confidence of the House of Representatives.

I now ask you to confirm

that you can form such a government.

Yes, Your Excellency.

In that case,

I will proceed with your appointment

as Prime Minister.

That gives effect to your appointment

as Prime Minister. Congratulations, Ms. Ardern.

Thank you.

Every time I got on a plane,

I would look out a window, and I would think,

"Look at that beautiful landscape.

From that mountain to that river,

that is my responsibility."

And I didn't sit in anything for too long

for that period of time.

And now, I'm writing about it,

and I've got no choice but to sit in it.

Okay, so we're recording now.

This is interview number one, file one.

Back in 2017,

I got a call from some archivists

at the Turnbull Library saying,

"We've been interviewing various people in politics."

When you were first asked

whether you'd take part in this diary project,

what made you say yes?

I didn't want him to resign.

Think about what you wanna say.

You know, as someone who loves history,

I thought one day I'm sure I'd really like

to look back on this.

Having those recordings really take me back to a moment

in a way that I don't imagine many other things could.

For that first period of time,

I felt the need to demonstrate that

I was the right person for the job,

that I just had to prove myself.

Political cycles in New Zealand,

they're so short.

I have three years to do as much as we can,

so there's just no time.

Climate change is the greatest challenge

facing this generation.

We had a significant 100-day plan.

Today, we announced

that we will no longer be granting

any new off-shore oil and gas exploration permits.

I'm on record as having stated

that child poverty and child poverty reduction

is one of the reasons that I was motivated

to get into politics, and ultimately, into this House.

Putting in renters' rights,

extending paid parental leave,

the first year of university free,

mental health.

These are going to be our priorities.

All of that in a hundred days, and more.

But in the back of my mind, I thought,

"How am I gonna do this with a baby?"

It's very jarring

turning your pregnancy into a press statement.

Um, I think the people who don't like me

will be a bit harsh.

I'm a bit anxious about it,

but I can't hide it forever, can I?

Oh, look!

Well, this is-- Well, this is normal.

Welcome, everyone,

for a somewhat unusual announcement.

Um, Clarke and I are really excited to share.

In June, we're looking forward to welcoming our first child.

Clarke?

Wow! I like the idea

that we're doing everything in reverse.

We bought a house together,

then we're having a baby, and we'll see.

♪ ...Ardern ♪

Prime Minister of New Zealand,

and Mr. Clarke Gayford.

Your Majesty, it is my great honor

to offer a toast to the Commonwealth.

Our Commonwealth is uniquely placed to offer

a strong voice on the global stage

at a time of change and uncertainty.

0800-80, try to keep those calls coming through this.

Jeremy Marcus, hello.

Yes, although I can't think of any jobs

that women with young children have not managed to do.

0800-801080 is the number to call.

Clive says, "I think it's a disgrace.

Her choice to be Prime Minister

should take priority over motherhood.

And no, you can't do both jobs, and do both justice."

- See? "Belly bump biscuits." - Yeah, well...

And as you push and push,

and then with the next contraction,

and we encourage the head to come down

to pop the shoulder free of here.

And the baby will just slip out very easily,

and up onto you.

Up, and it just comes up here.

Can you rest things on...

- Oh, yeah. ...while you're sitting down?

I've been able to do that for ages.

Oh, good.

Oh, good.

Oh!

Oh! She's gorgeous.

I figured I had to get her out so that you could hold her.

- We think we...

- Mm-hmm.

Oh!

- That's... - That's what mum says when she's processing.

- "Neve." - Yeah.

- Yeah, it is. - Oh!

"Leith"?

Oh, lovely. Lovely!

Mm-hmm.

Aw.

"Working & Breastfeeding Made Simple."

But I think anything that is simple

doesn't require 300...

369 pages of explanation.

I'm determined to breastfeed...

'cause otherwise, there's no reason

to have her at work.

Didn't bring the muffins that the...

- neighbor made for us. - Ah.

Thank you.

- Morning! - Morning!

- How are you? - Good, thank you.

- Leroy! - Hey!

- How are you? - I'm very well.

Aw!

Good, nice to see you.

- Welcome back. - Thanks!

- Say hello to Uncle Chris. - Oh!

Okay.

- Okay. - See you guys later.

- Okay, team. - We missed you.

Thank you, thank you. I missed you.

I missed you.

I did miss you guys.

There's confidence in the housing market

coming off of international developments.

Yep.

Yep.

We'd been hearing a few mean-minded,

mingy individuals carrying on about

whether she had the right to have a baby,

and run the country at the same time.

Wouldn't it be lovely if somehow...

Jacinda had a cloak of her own...

to keep her warm...

to protect her back...

to guard her from the slings and arrows

of outrageous commentators.

Other women saying...

to our gorgeous prime minister...

"Don't worry. Stand tall. We have your back."

Today, I stand

before the United Nations General Assembly

to share the extraordinary progress we've made.

In less than two years,

my administration has accomplished more than

almost any administration in the history of our country.

America is... So true.

I didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay.

America is governed by Americans.

We reject the ideology of globalism.

Our position has been we see ourselves

as members of an international community.

Doesn't it concern you that diplomatically

it may cause a bit of a rift with Washington?

No, I think it's important that we always maintain

an independent foreign policy line.

We need to speak to New Zealand values,

regardless of what any other world leader

tends to think, or their position.

Do you like Donald Trump?

Oh, look, I don't know Donald Trump.

I know the President of the United States.

And we are united by the fact that each of our countries

has experienced some jarring effects

of globalization.

We're just choosing to respond differently.

Do you like the President of the United States?

Uh, look, it's an irrelevant question.

No, it's not really.

Popularity aside, do you like the current US--

It actually is.

I'm here to represent New Zealand.

This isn't a popularity contest.

You've heard of Take Your kids to Work Day,

but a world leader made a statement

when she brought her baby to the United Nations.

That's right, a baby.

Ardern is the second world leader

to give birth in office,

and now, the first to bring her baby to the UN.

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand.

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway.

It's clear that a big focus

for the Secretary-General is the issue of climate change.

And in that regard,

he acknowledged the role that New Zealand is playing,

- and will continue to play. - How's Neve?

Well. Probably more well-rested than I am.

All right. Thanks, everyone. Thank you.

It does really feel like

all eyes are on Jacinda Ardern.

She has kind of a celebrity circuit of sorts here.

Big week, of course, for the Prime Minister.

She's very much in New York. She's very much going to be

like the new squeezy toy in the toy shop.

They're all gonna want to touch her and meet her,

and shake hands, and, "Oh, where's the baby?"

There's the novelty factor.

Did you ever imagine that the perfectly normal act

of a woman giving birth

would be so incredibly viral all over the world,

and everybody just wants to talk to you about that?

No, no, but I have to accept that

when it comes to world leaders, it was rare.

I've been amazed by some of the incredible sexism

that you've received from your own media at home

- about this issue. - Hmm.

Oh, can a mother be prime minister?

Can a pregnant woman do the job?

Can a new mother talk about climate

and refugees and trade,

and all the things that you're talking about?

Aw!

Aw, don't...

She is just not having it at the moment.

Come here.

Then it'll come from a bottle.

We're fussy.

I understand you were on the floor

of the General Assembly.

You were seated at the General Assembly

when Donald Trump gave his address.

I was.

He says that people weren't laughing at him,

they were laughing with him.

What-- what...

did you experience...

...as someone in the room?

Are you trying to create a diplomatic incident

here right now?

- Maybe I'm gonna diffuse one right now. - Yeah.

So, there was a little laugh,

and then there was a bigger laugh.

So, there was a little laugh,

and he said, "I didn't expect that response,"

and then there was a bigger laugh.

Then people laughed with him.

- Second... The second time. - On the second one.

The second one, people were laughing with him.

- Yes. That is true. - Okay.

- That was very diplomatically stated. - This is my testimony.

Very nice.

No war between the United states and New Zealand then?

- No, peace loving nation. - But the first laugh?

The first laugh?

First laugh was a spontaneous murmur amongst...

- It was spontaneous. - ...some people.

- Spontaneous among the people, with each other. - Yes. But I'm a...

- Amongst themselves. - Amongst themselves.

Yes.

- And you joined in? - No, I observed.

I am an incredibly proud New Zealander.

Much of that pride has come from being

a strong and active member of our international community.

We are not isolated.

Governments do have obligations to their people and each other,

and our actions have a global effect.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot pinpoint

when exactly my interest in politics began,

but I know it began young.

This is my old street.

We moved here when I was pretty young.

My memories of that place are vivid.

I knew that a lot of people had lost their jobs,

but I didn't understand that it was down

to the privatization of the forestry industry,

and the complete lack of central government support.

Even though I was really young,

I remember seeing what that did to the town,

the social costs of unemployment.

My passion for social justice came from what I saw.

My love of politics came when I realized

that it was the key to changing what I saw.

Together, we must rebuild and recommit to multilateralism.

If I could distill it down into one concept

that we are pursuing in New Zealand,

it is simple and it is this, kindness.

In the face of isolationism, protectionism, racism,

the simple concept

of looking outwardly and beyond ourselves,

of kindness and collectivism,

might just be as good a starting point as any.

It's chaos here in Hagley Park, really.

You can probably hear the sirens going past me

as ambulances rush to and from the mosque.

We haven't confirmed the number of injuries,

but I have spoken to a man, a witness.

He'd run from the mosque,

climbing a fence to get to safety.

He told us that he had seen four women lying on the floor

of the mosque, covered in blood.

We are breaking into normal programming

right now for some disturbing news

from Christchurch.

There has been a major shooting incident

with reports of gunmen firing near mosques

in the center of the city.

There are unconfirmed reports

as many as 27 people are dead, including children.

There were 500 people in the mosque

at the time of the shooting.

This is interview number 14,

file one.

All right, um...

Well, it's a week since those horrible attacks

in Christchurch.

How's it been for you this week?

Clearly what has happened here is an extraordinary

and unprecedented act of violence.

Many of those who will have been directly affected

by the shooting may be migrants to New Zealand.

They may even be refugees here.

They have chosen to make New Zealand their home,

and it is their home.

They are us.

It is with extreme sadness

that I tell you that as at 7:00 p.m. tonight,

we believe that 40 people have lost their lives.

It is clear that this can now only be described

as a terrorist attack.

We are a proud nation of more than 200 ethnicities,

160 languages,

and amongst that diversity, we share common values,

and the one that we place the currency on right now,

and tonight, is our compassion,

and the support for the community

of those directly affected by this tragedy.

And secondly, the strongest possible condemnation

of the ideology of the people who did this.

You may have chosen us,

but we utterly reject and condemn you.

It was close to 24 hours since the shooting,

and bodies were still lying in the mosques.

And that, of course,

was because the police were doing their jobs.

But for those who were members of the Muslim community,

their priority was immediate burial.

And so, people were understandably distraught

about the delay.

Yeah, yeah.

The vast majority of family members

were at the crisis response center.

I just remember feeling the heat of the room.

So many people packed into one space,

and just the nervous energy, and the grief.

Huge amounts of grief.

Everyone in there knew someone who had died.

Everyone will have the opportunity to...

Everyone became quiet.

But then I realized, of course, I had to say something.

There was no one else to hand the microphone to.

Go on, Prime Minister.

- Assalamu alaikum. - Wa'alaikumussalam.

Peace be upon you, peace be upon all of us.

I'm here today...

to bring with me the grief of all of New Zealand.

And there is huge grief in this nation

that we share with you on your behalf.

You want your loved ones back.

And I know that there are religious considerations

with their burial.

Tell people what you know.

Even if it's hard, tell people what you know.

And so, I told people that, yes...

you know, the names would be released,

and the bodies would be taken,

but they wouldn't be released quickly.

When I was told

that he was an Australian who purposely came in

to target our Muslim community in some kind of attempt

to create a war amongst people, or to other them,

I remember feeling just so angry.

I mean, you're devastated at what's happened,

but at the same time, I just felt angry.

But I genuinely questioned whether or not I was allowed

to kind of show emotion like that.

My job was to be...

the calm voice,

the voice who shared the facts, you know?

The Prime Minister's response

to the attack left a lasting impression on Muslims.

She was asked by President Trump

what support the United States can provide.

Her response,

sympathy and love for all Muslim communities.

"I personally thank you who support our community.

I literally cried every time I watched you on TV,

and gave a speech.

Also, I apologize that because of our existence,

my appearance, my coming to your country,

has made your country become unsafe for everyone."

I still find it quite hard to comprehend

that you could have...

That there could be so many people who die...

...and then people thank you.

It just makes me feel incredibly sad.

People shouldn't have to thank you

for a humane response. That should be your expectation.

And it just says to me how little I understood

of the experience of Muslim communities...

that it would be worth commenting on.

♪ Oh, I've been smiling lately ♪

♪ Dreaming about The world as one ♪

♪ And I believe it could be ♪

♪ Someday, it's gonna come ♪

♪ 'Cause out On the edge of darkness ♪

♪ There rides a peace train ♪

♪ Oh, peace train Take this country ♪

♪ Come take me home again ♪

♪ 'Cause I've been Smiling lately ♪

♪ Thinkin' about The good things to come ♪

♪ And I believe it could be ♪

♪ Something good has begun ♪

♪ Oh, peace train Sounding louder ♪

♪ Glide on the peace train ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh! ♪

♪ Come on, peace train ♪

♪ Peace train, holy roller... ♪

Today, as the country grieves,

we are seeking answers.

I want to speak specifically about the firearms used

in this terrorist act.

I'm advised that there were two semi-automatic weapons,

and two shotguns.

The offender was in possession of a gun license.

I can tell you one thing right now,

our gun laws will change.

I didn't even know if I had the numbers.

I've got a government that requires three parties

to agree on everything that we do,

and I represent one of them.

But it didn't matter.

I thought, "I'm just gonna make this work."

You can get 140 rounds

in a magazine.

They're like a round thing, like a Gatling gun.

That's not okay for New Zealand, and we will stand against them.

This bill is not an attempt

to improve public safety.

It is an exercise in political theater.

If there were suggestions

that we shouldn't be banning attack rifles,

or military-style automatic weapons,

I'd like to hear those arguments.

Regardless of the number that are in circulation,

our goal is to get as many as we can out of circulation.

Whatever reasons might be brought to bear

for not supporting this legislation

can never outweigh the 50 reasons

we carry with us today.

We are here just 26 days

after the most devastating of terrorist attacks

in New Zealand's history.

When I visited the hospitals and the victims,

none of them had just one gunshot wound.

In every case, they spoke of multiple injuries,

multiple debilitating injuries.

I could not fathom

how weapons that could cause such destruction,

and large-scale death

could have been obtained legally in this country.

Fifty people died and they do not have a voice.

We in this House are their voice.

And today, Mr. Speaker, we have used that voice wisely.

The ayes are 119, the noes are one.

Today, I'm announcing that New Zealand will ban

all military-style semi-automatic weapons.

We will also ban all assault rifles.

We will ban all high-capacity magazines.

Folks are truly stunned this morning

by how quickly New Zealand is moving

to change its gun laws.

Prime Minister of New Zealand has announced immediate action

to ban assault weapons.

New Zealanders have turned in

more than 50,000 guns.

The country's buyback program ended at midnight...

Even President Obama

couldn't do that in the United States

after the massacre of children at Sandy Hook.

The overnight announcement

getting attention from both sides

of the gun debate in the U.S.

It's gonna dance...

and it's gonna make a noise.

♪ ("SLEIGH RIDE" PLAYING OVER SPEAKER)♪

Oopsie!

Ooh!

- It looks good. - I think it looks good.

- Do you like it? - Yeah.

Can you tell us about the proposal?

♪ ...been so tired You said, "You bet" ♪

Mr. Speaker, it's time to change

New Zealand's outdated abortion laws.

Abortion should not be a crime in this country.

Please show us your respect for women.

Show us you recognize we're capable of deciding

what's right for us.

Give us our dignity back.

The ayes are 68, the noes are 51.

The ayes have it.

Unlock the doors.

Unlock the doors.

Abortion legislation bill...

♪ I still stare at you In the dark ♪

Hi there, this is Jacinda speaking.

Hi!

Oh! There she goes. Right behind you.

- Oh! - Ooh!

Whoa.

Sudden and deadly volcano

erupting on an island in New Zealand.

Twenty-two people were killed.

The others suffered severe burns.

It is now clear

that there were two groups on the island,

those who were able to be evacuated

and those who were close to the eruption.

I remember coming into the office

at the beginning of 2020 after a really hard year,

and saying, "I have a new mantra for the year.

I'm going to be Zen. It's my goal for this year.

I'm just gonna take everything in my stride,

everything that comes our way."

And then two months later, COVID arrived.

Our health professionals

are telling us that, look, despite the geopolitical issues,

of course, that this has fundamentally changed

the world, potentially.

Take a deep breath.

Like, take a deep breath, because what--

He just told me that a fight...

there was a brawl that police were called to,

because a Chinese man sneezed in Australia.

And what is this gonna do?

It's just horrific.

I just feel sorry for myself listening to that

'cause I just have no idea what's coming.

Absolutely no idea.

New Zealand is in a very unique position

where we only have six cases at the moment.

Six cases, two probables, which makes us pretty unique.

But every other country in the world

has started out like this, and then it's gone extreme.

So, today, we're basically gonna close the borders.

We will have the most stringent border controls

in the world at that point.

There's different models going on at the moment.

Boris Johnson is taking the approach

of the only choice is to allow this

to sweep through the country and get it over and done with.

So, he's not altering any border controls.

He's basically telling people that they're going to die...

and that he is going to try and ease

the suffering of people who have it.

You'll be okay?

Yeah.

Oh, honey.

I think you'll be asked

why didn't you go two days ago, and I think that's the answer.

I think the answer is we will be...

No, if they ask me what powers,

I'll say we're using the Public Health Act,

I'll be issuing an epidemic notice,

and we're also moving

in level four to a state of national emergency.

Good afternoon.

We currently have 102 cases.

If community transmission takes off in New Zealand,

the number of cases will double every five days.

If that happens,

our health system will be inundated

and tens of thousands of New Zealanders will die.

We have always said we would act early,

decisively, and go hard.

Our plan is simple.

We can stop the spread by staying at home

and reducing contact.

Non-essential businesses in New Zealand

must now close.

All bars, restaurants,

cafes, playgrounds,

any other place where the public congregate

must close their face-to-face function.

Thank you for all that you're about to do.

Please be strong, be kind, and unite against COVID-19.

If I was going to lead through this pandemic,

I needed to understand that illness

as well as anyone else.

If things went wrong, it was my job to try and fix it.

See? No pressure.

There you go.

Growing up, my dad, you know, over summer,

he would, you know,

it was the time when he would read something

other than the newspaper every night,

and he would read these books on Antarctic exploration.

From what they called "The Heroic Age."

I just loved those stories.

Ernest Shackleton was an Antarctic explorer

who set off in 1914 to be the first person

to make a land-based crossing of the Antarctic continent.

But his ship became stuck in pack ice.

As a leader, he was so focused

on how he could maintain collective optimism.

He was really focused on how the team

would come together.

Instead of achieving his goal, his entire focus became

saving the lives of those who were with him.

I had the very best scientific advice,

the best public health advice, great ministers.

But... it still sat squarely on me.

Yep.

Yep.

I just need to focus on the evidence,

and the science, and the modeling, and...

the right thing to do.

This is sitting between me and going to sleep now.

This and you. Sorry.

Are you fake carrying

- washing around the room? - Yes, I am.

- Good luck. - Okay, see you.

Today, there are no active cases in New Zealand.

...your immediate reaction

when you heard there were no active cases of COVID-19

remaining in New Zealand?

Um, I... I did a little dance.

With no active cases,

crowds can now gather wherever, whenever.

In New Zealand, the pandemic doesn't exist.

No face masks, no social restrictions,

no hospitals in crisis.

What is it? Why? What is it I'm doing that...

It's not a moral, it's a science-based response.

What, life over money?

Yeah.

Neve, when she sees me pick this up, says,

"Bye-bye, see you tomorrow."

Hello, Neve.

Um...

I don't know if you know what it's like

to try and have a disagreement with someone

who has just been voted

the world's most eloquent leader.

Please welcome to the stage my not-quite-wife,

the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda.

There are 17 days to go

in a COVID-19 election.

Oh, no.

So...

Actually, do you know what?

Is it? Oh, thank you.

I remember election night

watching seats coming in for us that never come in for us.

Yes!

And being, you know, amazed by that.

Wow! Auckland is her best place to win.

Here we go, guys.

Evening, Judith.

Thank you.

I really appreciate that, Judith.

You look after yourself.

Take care. Bye.

Let's summarize that as brief.

"I'm just calling to congratulate you.

You've done brilliantly. You've done really well."

I think that was a concession.

Tonight...

New Zealand has shown the Labour Party

its greatest support in at least 50 years.

I didn't expect Saturday.

Uh, and maybe

that's because we spent so much time

taking nothing for granted

that I genuinely took nothing for granted.

I don't want you to think for a moment

that it was just because of a pandemic.

It's because of the way we got us

through a pandemic.

Crises make governments and they break governments.

And I think we just displayed what we're made of.

And what we're made of is compassion, and empathy,

and a real drive to do things for others.

Probably a good time to ask you

how you're feeling about the job now.

We knew the rest of the world was in a horrific winter,

in the middle of managing COVID.

And here we were, so lucky, out in the sun.

Just a couple of days before New Year's

and I'm standing on a stage at a concert.

There was this euphoria that you could tell was there

because of what people had gone through that year.

Just the sheer joy that here was everyone out together.

I looked out and thought,

"Oh my gosh,

what if one person in that crowd has COVID?"

Every time I saw some people's names on my phone,

I thought, "Oh no, have we got a case?

Have we got a case?"

If I was in a meeting and a staff member walked out,

I would think, "We've got a case."

It haunted me.

We've had a phone call, another COVID outbreak.

- I wanna go! - No, no, no, darling.

- We're going soon. - I wanna go.

We made the decision to move Auckland

to alert level three

for a period of seven days.

New Zealand will move to alert level four from 11:59...

...move to level two at 11:59...

She's the darling of the liberal left

and she likes lockdowns.

Most authoritarian leader

that country has ever had and no one else comes close.

I just don't understand how anyone could assume

that I'm so cavalier about having a whole city

and over a million people in lockdown.

Of course, I think about it all the time.

I have to take sleeping pills

so I don't think about it all the time.

My question is to the Prime Minister.

Does she accept estimates

that New Zealand's economy will shrink

by ten percent this year,

while Australia's will fall by less than five?

Mr. Speaker, as I've said,

- I've heard the range of...

Order, order.

Simon Bridges yelled across the House,

"She doesn't do the economy."

I wanted to punch him in the face.

That member may have the luxury

of sitting on that side of the House

not bearing the consequences of a wrong move.

Shouldn't the Prime Minister make a new decision

every single day about how she can safely

get more businesses back to business?

I'd love to see the member's evidence

that that's not exactly what we are doing.

We're like a group of children in the backseat of the car

yelling, "Are we there yet?"

Mr. Speaker, it's a global pandemic.

Relative to other years, this has been the worst.

Yeah.

Hey.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What a bugger.

Here we are in a country

that has pretty much suppressed Delta

through our remarkable uptake

and success of our vaccine program.

And just when you think you've got a handle on that,

and that life is, sort of,

coming to some semblance of normal,

along comes another variant.

It's not going to be pretty as people adjust

and get used to yet another wave

of this incredibly unpredictable...

bastard of a... of a virus.

If it has been four months

since your second dose,

you are due your booster.

Please go to Book My Vaccine...

A whole lot of anti-vaxxers

have now shown up at my parents' house

and are protesting out the front.

We don't have overbearing security.

And then suddenly you start to feel a bit unsafe.

Just a reminder again, of course, we've had...

Shout out, "Freedom!"

Freedom!

Shout out "Freedom!"

Freedom!

And I think...

Yeah.

Okay, well, a new year, another year.

Hmm.

Mm, it gets bigger. Hmm.

You're trying to tell us

that our freedom is found in getting the jab!

Jacinda has created a New Zealand

that I do not want to live in.

I reject Jacindaland!

Our forefathers have fought for this land

and you don't ride roughshod over it

because some girl in a skirt is on a power trip!

They had fake gallows on the Forecourt.

Ropes hanging down there.

They had the names of politicians, family members.

Um, it was, yeah, it was...

It was grim. Really grim.

So, how would you describe this last week?

If there is like a subterranean space

that sits beneath hell...

That.

Oh God, this version of John Farnham, the song,

they have played it so many times.

Oh no, no, no.

It's an absolute party down there

by the looks of what I was just seeing

- on the live. - Yeah.

Anyway, I'm gonna go home.

I can't do work here anymore, so...

No, no,

that's completely understandable.

I mean, their protest signs all say,

"End the mandate and we'll go home."

I would wager that probably 95 percent of the people

down there are not affected by the mandate.

They're not nurses and doctors and teachers.

They're waving American flags and Canadian flags,

and you can't help feeling that they've fallen

into someone else's wormhole and it's not ours.

Yeah.

There was a woman on the news last night that said

that her husband had got the booster

and that she was going to divorce him...

as a result, and that he would probably die.

So, that's his third dose of the vaccine,

and he is not dead,

so obviously he is not going to die.

But that's where--

That's the psychology down there.

And it's quite hard to know that that's what you're dealing with,

'cause it's not rational.

We didn't intend for mandates to be forever,

but the problem is we couldn't...

We, at that point, couldn't say when we felt like

we could safely remove them,

but what I wasn't going to do was arbitrarily remove them

because people were occupying Parliament's grounds.

Your job is to govern for everybody.

Talking about the country being deeply divided.

It's not deeply divided. It's not.

There's a one, two-percent minority

who are making a lot of noise

because they can't get what they want

and they don't want to do their bit for society.

Wow.

Hands off our children. There's... there's no...

There's no vaccine mandates for children.

And you see those signs everywhere.

This is an issue...

This is an issue...

No more Jacinda!

Today, my first event got hijacked.

Someone found out where I was and put it on Facebook,

and they just descended. So, by the time I left,

they had to kind of rush me out.

There's Jacinda.

Look at her hiding in the back.

Hiding in the fucking back.

Go, go, go, go, go.

There's been a bit of media coverage lately

about awful online abuse of women,

particularly women politicians.

At various points there would be

different rumors about me and my family.

Some of them were really hurtful.

One of the attacks on Clarke

culminated in this hashtag, "Where is Clarke Gayford?"

And when I'd see it,

I would think, "He's at home raising our baby girl.

That is where he is."

Wow, you're so fancy...

I made the choice to be there.

My family didn't. And yet, they paid a price.

I still smell like fish.

It's because I've been living here.

Okay.

They didn't know it was fake or it was real.

- Yeah. - So at this stage...

Aotearoa! Aotearoa!

A standoff never seen before at Parliament.

At dawn, hundreds of police moved in

on the occupation that stretched

into its fourth week, and they came prepared.

Fuck you! Fuck you!

Recording identification,

this is interview number 27

with Jacinda Ardern of the Labour Party

for the Political Diary Project.

I take it you're not at Parliament

with the police and the protesters?

What's it been like being besieged there

these last few weeks?

Pretty awful.

And just people are being abused,

coming into the Beehive.

And you just see, you see all the signs

and you hear them, you know.

You can have this piece, darling.

It's that piece here, right? You can have your own one.

Oh, you want-- You want one? Okay.

So, yeah. So, no, it hasn't been...

Hasn't-- It hasn't been good.

Just go ahead and let the people-- Come on.

Keep going.

Where are you, Jacinda?

Your parliament's on fire.

Look at what you've caused just by lying to your own people!

This is Jacinda's world.

What the fuck did they do?

- Anyone? I'm all good, thank you.

Jacinda wants a cup of tea. Grant, do you want a cup of tea?

- No, thanks, Clarke.

Someone will drink the cup of tea. Yeah.

To see the Parliament, your Parliament, our Parliament,

desecrated in that way

by a small group of illegal protesters,

made me feel both angry and deeply sad.

But as I say, it is not something that will define

New Zealand's response to this pandemic.

It was an illegal occupation.

They engaged in hostile, violent, and aggressive behavior

throughout the occupation.

And today, that has culminated in the desecration

of this Parliament's grounds,

the People's Parliament, our democracy.

It's dark. Pull me.

- Is that pretty good? - Yeah.

- Do you wanna try? - No, no, I...

But I still carry grief...

over it.

For all the thinking I give

to what I would have done differently,

I would still rather be sitting in front of the public

and explaining why perhaps we did too much...

rather than why we did too little.

Because... the doing too little was the difference

between people living and people dying. Mm-hmm.

How many times have you set out in life

and thought, "Here's my goal."

Here's the thing that I'm setting out to achieve.

But then along the way,

achieve something completely different.

After nearly two years on the ice...

in the most atrocious conditions...

Shackleton brought every crew member back alive.

I had two goals in COVID.

Save people's lives and keep everyone together.

And I did one.

But I didn't manage to quite do the other.

We did a lot.

We did a lot on progressive issues,

things that meant a lot to us.

We set ambitious goals for climate change,

lifted kids out of poverty...

increase the minimum wage

and try to make people's lives easier.

And I worried that people,

in reaction to me having outstayed my welcome,

that some of the things we did-- and that mattered to me more

than me being in the job-- that some of the things

that we achieved might be undone.

If we remove me from the equation,

then perhaps we won't backslide on those things.

Perhaps those things that really matter,

they'll stay.

Even if I'm gone.

I need to just bring

the temperature down a little bit

for the good of politics, for the good of New Zealand...

for the good of the pendulum that swings.

- Am I allowed out now? - No, you have to...

It was important to me that when I made the decision

there actually was nothing particularly

going on at the time.

COVID and the occupation

was almost a year ago.

What a year to resign.

Which is gonna come as a shock

to just about everyone?

I... I don't know, I suppose so.

There was no single moment. It was just...

um, this overwhelming...

feeling that, um...

that if something else happened, something else that was...

big or difficult,

that I wouldn't have enough in the tank

to do a good job.

Have you ever thought about sort of reviewing

your processes in those instances

where you could have maybe...

shared a bit of that workload?

Did you just try and tell me to delegate?

- In a fairly subtle way, yeah. - It wasn't subtle.

It was like a full-blown mansplain.

But do you think that's been part of the problem?

Not being able to delegate some of the...

Well, because you really go in boots and all.

Your own staff members gave you a stethoscope...

- ...in response to your... - Time is not helping you.

No, I mean I know. But it's serious, though.

No, no, because those actually...

There's things about the ongoing job.

It's not that just if something bad happens,

I don't have enough to keep going.

It's the cumulative effect of everything as well.

It's almost the politics...

...that I find...

yeah, pretty unrelenting.

I just know I'm gonna find the next year hard.

Mm.

Going from full speed all of the time to nothing.

And so today, I'm announcing

that I will not be seeking re-election.

And that my term as Prime Minister

will conclude no later than the seventh of February.

Walking away from the most powerful job

in New Zealand politics,

bowing out nine months before the election.

- Cheers! - Cheers!

- Cheers! - Cheers! Cheers!

Mr. Speaker, when it came time

to pen these words, my father suggested

that I go back,

and look at the first ones I shared in this House.

I was 28 years old.

If I'm honest, I was probably more

than a little shocked to be here.

A feeling that even after 15 years,

never quite left me.

Politics has never been a tick list for me.

It's always been about progress.

Sometimes you can measure it and sometimes you can't.

To my family, people knew we were connected

and you copped a lot of flak.

Clarke, not many politicians

have a partner, that when they say,

"I'm thinking of leaving politics," reply,

"I think you should stay."

Thank you for all your patience,

your love, and support.

To my darling girl, Neve.

Gosh, I love how independent you are already.

Means you won't grow up being known

as the ex-Prime Minister's daughter, but rather,

I will happily be known as Neve's mum.

Now, I cannot determine what will define

my time in this place, but I do hope

I've demonstrated something else entirely.

That you can be anxious, sensitive, kind,

and wear your heart on your sleeve.

You can be a mother or not.

You can be a nerd, a crier, a hugger.

You can be all of these things.

And not only can you be here, you can lead...

just like me.

Thank you. You're so kind. Thank you so much.

- Job done. - Job done.

What's next?

Cup of tea and a lie down.

Well, it's been what, almost two weeks since...

...you shocked the nation.

What made you do that?

I got a lift with Clarke down to the waterfront.

We went for a walk.

And it was, yeah, it was gone.

Just that...

that weight...

uh, that just sits there all of the time,

that at any moment you might be called upon

because something might happen,

or just that constant sense of responsibility.

Uh, it just went straight away.

Mm. It surprised me.

Mm.

You know, since in Wellington

there were some surfers who were out,

there's this one guy who's got the back of his van open,

and he just yells, "Hey, young lovers!"

And...

And I thought, "Oh my gosh, I can't remember

the last time I was called young."

I didn't feel like I looked that way anymore.

I felt like I looked like I carried the weight

of the world on my shoulders.

Oh, that's awesome, Neve!

It is! It's working!

It's working. Just keep running, Mum. Don't stop.

Something about the way he yelled it,

I thought, "Man, do we look different?"

I come from the bottom of the world.

I was lucky enough to be prime minister

of that beautiful country for five years.

I unexpectedly found myself as leader,

and soon after found myself

with a bit of a surprise pregnancy.

I was and still am an incredibly normal person,

plagued with imposter syndrome and self-doubt,

who just happened to find myself in an extraordinary position.

I am living, breathing, incredibly flawed proof

that you underestimate what you are capable of

until you are doing it.

♪ Sometimes ♪

♪ All I need is The air that I breathe ♪

♪ And to love you ♪

♪ All I need is The air that I breathe ♪

♪ Yes, to love you... ♪

She has become a global symbol

of compassion, resilience,

hope, and bold, and decisive action.

Kia ora and good evening.

It is my pleasure to be here.

Tonight, we have Jacinda with us,

and the United States has borrowed her

for a long stay,

so we're grateful to have you here.

Thank you, thank you.

Yes, yes.

When your own constitution

was adopted,

Benjamin Franklin was asked what had been created,

and he replied, quote, "A republic if you can keep it."

If you can keep it.

And the overwhelming challenges that lay in front of us,

and our constant efforts to reach into the systems,

the structures, the power,

don't overlook the simple act right in front of you.

The impact that we each have as individuals.

The former president had said

that climate change is a hoax.

The disinformation will only increase.

The pull into the comfort of our tribes will be magnified.

But we have it within us

to ensure that that doesn't mean we fracture.

We are at a precipice.

But I'm an optimist at heart.

Shackleton had this saying...

"Optimism is true moral courage."

You know it's a state of mind that...

helps to motivate.

That helps you to push through.

I always got the sense that we would treat people

who would describe themselves in that way as if they're naive.

As if they're dreamers.

Optimism is not naivety, it's hope.

We have war raging, the ongoing challenge

and threat of climate change...

rapid technological development.

It is hard not to switch on the news some days

and just think the world is a dumpster fire.

How do we shine a light on the humanity

that I know is still there in amongst everything else?

Mm.

That's what keeps me going anyway.

My life and my world is very small here

and I like that a lot.

When we recognized you from across the street,

I was like, "My goodness."

Hi.

Yay!

Since we've been away, it's actually just felt quieter.

And I think that's probably what we needed.

- How's he doing? - Good.

So, this is just a moment in time.

Hey, Mum.

But...

yeah, nowhere will ever be like home.

♪ There is freedom within There is freedom without ♪

♪ Try to catch the deluge In a paper cup ♪

♪ There's a battle ahead Many battles are lost ♪

♪ But you'll never see the end Of the road ♪

♪ While you're travelling With me ♪

♪ Hey, now, hey, now Don't dream it's over ♪

♪ Hey, now, hey, now When the world comes in ♪

♪ They come, they come To build a wall between us ♪

♪ We know, they won't win ♪

♪ Now I'm towing my car There's a hole in the roof ♪

♪ My possessions Are causing me suspicion ♪

♪ But there's no proof ♪

♪ In the paper today Tales of war and of waste ♪

♪ But you turn right over To the TV page ♪

♪ Hey, now, hey, now Don't dream it's over ♪

♪ Hey, now, hey, now When the world comes in ♪

♪ They come, they come To build a wall between us ♪

♪ We know, they won't win ♪

♪ Hey, now, hey, now ♪

♪ Hey, now, hey, now ♪

♪ Don't let them win ♪

♪ Hey, now, hey, now ♪

♪ Don't let them win ♪