He's going to lead the country. So what do we know about 'Chippy'?
Christopher John Hipkins was born in the Hutt Valley in 1978 and entered Parliament as an MP the same year as Jacinda Ardern - 2008.
He is well known for a slip of the tongue in a Covid-19 press conference where he suggested people "spread their legs". He meant for people to stretch their legs.
He's going to lead the country. So what do we know about 'Chippy'? (Source: 1News)
At the time, Hipkins was Covid-19 Response Minister. He later attended a press conference with a mug which read “spread your legs, not the virus”, which he sipped in view of cameras.
As well as being the education and police minister, Hipkins is the leader of the house and the public service minister. He is the MP for Remutaka.
Hipkins was reportedly arrested, strip-searched and held overnight following a protest march in September 1997.
In 2009, then-Speaker Lockwood Smith announced an apology and compensation to Hipkins, along with others, for wrongful arrest, according to a Dominion Post report from the time.
In that report, Hipkins said the compensation was not a large amount of money and most of it would go to lawyers’ fees, with the remainder going to charity.
In another notable moment, Hipkins emerged from bushes at a reserve on the Kāpiti Coast for a Covid-19 press conference while on holiday in December 2021.
The unusual entrance inspired social media memes and amusement to some. His mother, Dr Rosemary Hipkins, apologised to gathered media for his lateness to the press conference.
Hipkins was head boy of Petone College, which at the time was known as Hutt Valley Memorial College. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Criminology at Victoria University of Wellington.
He was also a student politician at the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association, including serving as president.
He is known anecdotally for his love of sausage rolls and - now discontinued - Coke Zero. Last year Hipkins even received a "sausage roll cake" for his birthday.
Hipkins is known to some as “Chippy” - a common nickname for people called Christopher and a reference to a combination of his first and last names.
According to his biography on the Beehive website, Hipkins is a keen mountain biker, tramper and swimmer and currently lives in Upper Hutt.
In that profile, it said Hipkins “passionately believes that every New Zealander deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential in life."
“He is a staunch advocate for and defender of our public education system. Chris believes that a free, quality education is the right of every child.”
It said Hipkins had worked in the public and private sectors, was passionate about Hutt Valley, a place he said was “bursting with energy and potential”.
It added that Hipkins worked in the industry training sector, as well as at Parliament as a senior adviser to two Education Ministers and later in the office of then-Prime Minister Helen Clark.
“He places a strong emphasis on social justice and believes that every New Zealander should have the opportunity to reach their full potential,” the profile said.
After Ardern's surprise resignation on Thursday, Hipkins posted on Facebook it had been a "privilege and honour" to serve in her government.
"Under her leadership we’ve confronted some of the greatest challenges any recent government has faced.
"Jacinda has been a voice of calm, kind reassurance and strength. I can think of no better person to have led us through the past five and a half years and I totally respect her decision to stand aside.
"She’s well and truly earned a break and some quality family time. New Zealand is a better country for having had Jacinda as our leader, she has truly made a difference."
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