Political Editor Jessica Mutch McKay reflects on Jacinda Ardern's premiership on the Labour MP's final day at Parliament.
Jacinda Ardern did things her own way.
At her best, she had the power to get Kiwis to buy in and follow her.
She tried to inject empathy into politics.
The 42-year-old reached lofty highs and some pretty nasty lows as a female leader in the spotlight but is adamant that's not why she's closing the door on politics.
Ardern will perhaps be remembered most for her response to the Christchurch mosque attack.
She read the room, responded like a true leader and united New Zealanders in what could have been a very divisive event.
I was there at the Kilbirnie Masjid when the famous photo was taken that was later projected onto the Burj Khalifa.
The energy was intense, filled with sadness and that hug communicated so much. I was there and it felt like a big moment even as it was happening.
The former prime minister earned accolades from around the world for the way she responded organically to a tragedy.
Politics aside, she was a great leader during that time — even politicians from across the aisle happily acknowledge that.
But Ardern, by her own admission, was also a "flashpoint". Mention her name in public now and it usually goes one of two ways — exultant praise or repulsed disdain, sometimes even vitriolic.
She led the country through a pandemic, something that was almost certain to drive division through the tough political choices that had to be made. We will long debate which decisions were right and wrong. And so we should.
She was able, in the early days, to take New Zealanders along with her. She talked directly to them at 1pm most days of lockdown.
Although later she lost that extraordinary influence, those early stages were remarkable. I'm not sure she ever really enjoyed being questioned by the media (like some prime ministers have) but I believe she enjoyed talking directly to the public in that way.
I'll never forget the moment she announced New Zealand was closing its borders — I called one of the prime minister's press secretaries to say I was going on air in a minute and checking, did I really have this right? We are closing our borders? The implications seemed so surreal.
The March 15 terrorist attack, the Whakaari eruption, a pandemic — these five years will be some of the most written about in our history.
Easily forgotten in all of this too, is the fact she had a baby in office. Ardern travelled the world, engaged in debates and announced policies while pregnant. There haven't been many public examples of that. She normalised that.
I've interviewed Ardern most days for the last five years and watching John Campbell's exit interview with her was an unusual experience. She looked refreshed but she was still in prime minister mode.
At the end she talked about feeling tired. The weight and responsibility of the job has only ever been experienced by 40 others.
Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, today is the end of an era — and a big day in the world of politics.
SHARE ME