Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern resigned from parliament on Wednesday, capping a career characterized by compassionate leadership in times of crisis, despite facing increasing online abuse.
Ardern stunned New Zealand earlier this year when she declared her resignation as prime minister and retirement from politics, citing a lack of “enough in the tank.”
The 42-year-old, who was once the world’s youngest female leader, said in her final speech to parliament that she never intended to be the country’s leader.
“It was a cross between a sense of duty to steer a moving freight train… and being hit by one,” she quipped during her valedictory address.
“And that’s probably because my internal reluctance to lead was matched only by a huge sense of responsibility.”
Ardern guided the country through natural catastrophes, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre, in which a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers.
“These stories and phases remain etched in my mind and likely will forever. That is the responsibility and privilege of the role of prime minister.”
Ardern dedicated a significant section of her speech to climate change, urging the country’s politicians to band together.
“Climate change is a crisis. It is upon us,” she said.
“And so one of the very few things I will ask of this house on my departure is that you please take the politics out of climate change.”
She will now focus on combating online extremism as part of the Christchurch Call initiative, which she established as prime minister in the aftermath of the mosque attack.
