Category: Jacinda Ardern

New Zealand Government Unanimously Suspends Labor MP After Allegations of ‘Rampant’ Bullying

New Zealand MP Gaurav Sharma was suspended from the Labour caucus for breaching trust after he alleged widespread bullying and harassment occurred throughout Parliament and that his concerns around the issues had never been investigated. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the caucus had unanimously determined that suspension was the “most appropriate response” following “repeated breaches…


New Zealand PM ‘Looks Forward’ to Visiting to China When Zero-COVID Restrictions Ease

One day after the final stage of New Zealand’s border reopening was completed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed her willingness to lead a business delegation to China to strengthen in-person connections. “As we mark 50 years of diplomatic relations, we look forward to the return of in-person ministerial visits,” Ardern told the China Business Summit…


New Zealand PM ‘Looks Forward’ to Visiting China When Zero-COVID Restrictions Ease

One day after the final stage of New Zealand’s border reopening was completed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed her willingness to lead a business delegation to China to strengthen in-person connections. “As we mark 50 years of diplomatic relations, we look forward to the return of in-person ministerial visits,” Ardern told the China Business Summit…


New Zealand Alert Against Foot and Mouth Disease After Fragments Detected in Australia

With foot and mouth disease spreading across Indonesia, vigilance against the disease has increased in New Zealand, which the government has called a “doomsday” biosecurity risk for the country’s farming sector. “While not a threat to humans, it would devastate our national herd. Essentially, all animals that are of cloven hoof are at risk,” Prime…


Chinese State-Run Media Jumps on New Zealand PM’s Softening Stance Towards Beijing

Chinese state-run media has noted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s softer stance towards China in her recent major foreign policy speech. The Global Times, a Chinese regime mouthpiece, claimed in an article that this softer language towards Beijing signalled that Australia’s “wishful thinking” to “rally” New Zealand against China had stalled. Ardern said in…


Kiribati Withdraws From Pacific Islands Forum, Further Weakening West’s Bulwark Against Beijing

The surprise withdrawal of Kiribati from the Pacific Islands Forum has dealt a heavy blow to the regional body—the peak intergovernmental organisation in the region. The move comes amid ongoing dissatisfaction from Micronesian countries in the Forum, a festering issue that has erupted amid Beijing’s ongoing influence in the region. On July 10, news of Kiribati’s…


Kiribati Withdraws From Pacific Islands Forum, Further Weakening the West’s Bulwark Against Beijing

The Pacific Islands Forum has been dealt a heavy blow after the surprise withdrawal of Kiribati from the regional body—the peak intergovernmental organisation in the region. The move comes amid ongoing dissatisfaction from Micronesian countries in the Forum, a festering issue that has erupted amid Beijing’s ongoing influence in the region. On July 10, news…


Australia Could Grant New Zealand Immigrants Voting Rights: PM

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged possible voting rights for Kiwis in Australia and a more “common sense” approach to the country’s 501 deportation policy. If implemented, it would align Australia’s voting policy with New Zealand—where Australians living across the Tasman for more than one year are able to vote. “We’ll be asking the Joint…


Ardern Warns Against ‘Black and White’ View of Competition With Beijing

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has spoken out against framing the conflict in Ukraine and countering ongoing Chinese aggression through a “black and white” lens, saying nations do not need to choose between autocracies or democracies. Ardern’s latest views stand in stark contrast to that of U.S. President Joe Biden, who has vowed to…


New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Signs Consumer Goods Deal With Australian University

Australia’s Monash University in Victoria hosted New Zealand (NZ) Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday to sign a new agreement designed to help five Kiwi companies develop innovative consumer goods for Australian and international markets. This comes as part of Ardern’s five-day visit to Australia, during which she also met with Victorian Premier Dan Andrews…