Chris Hipkins set to replace Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand PM
New Zealand Labour MP Chris Hipkins is set to replace Jacinda Ardern as prime minister after becoming the only nominee for the party's leadership.
He was first elected to parliament in 2008 and was appointed minister for Covid-19 in November 2020.
In Ms Ardern's shock announcement on Thursday she said she did not have "enough in the tank" to lead.
How long Mr Hipkins will be in office is uncertain as New Zealand holds a general election in October.
Mr Hipkins, 44, is currently minister for police, education and public service.
He will still need to be formally endorsed by the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on Sunday before he can become leader.
Should he receive that backing, Ms Ardern will formally tender her resignation to the governor-general on 7 February, who will then - on behalf of King Charles III - appoint Mr Hipkins as prime minister.
But the incoming Labour leader faces an uphill battle if he wants to remain in the top job after the 2023 election.
Inflation and increasing social inequality saw Ms Ardern's popularity fall to all-time lows according to opinion polls.
They also suggested public approval of the country's Labour Party was similarly low.
Mr Hipkins' appointment removes the immediate possibility of Justice Minister Kiri Allan becoming the country's first Maori prime minister.
During her resignation announcement, Ms Ardern - who at 37 became the youngest female head of government in the world when she took office in 2017 - said the past five-and-a-half years had been the "most fulfilling" of her life.
However, she added that leading the country during "crisis" had been difficult - with the Covid pandemic, Christchurch mosque shootings and White Island volcanic eruption taking place during her premiership.
Reaction to Ms Ardern's announcement was mixed, with some suggesting she was "running away before getting thrown out".
But renowned New Zealand actor Sam Neill said she had faced "disgraceful" treatment from "bullies" and "misogynists".
If Labour loses the general election Mr Hipkins will have only spent eight months as the nation's leader - although the shortest prime ministerial stint was Harry Atkinson's term in 1884, which lasted just eight days.
In Ms Ardern's shock announcement on Thursday she said she did not have "enough in the tank" to lead.
How long Mr Hipkins will be in office is uncertain as New Zealand holds a general election in October.
Mr Hipkins, 44, is currently minister for police, education and public service.
He will still need to be formally endorsed by the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on Sunday before he can become leader.
Should he receive that backing, Ms Ardern will formally tender her resignation to the governor-general on 7 February, who will then - on behalf of King Charles III - appoint Mr Hipkins as prime minister.
But the incoming Labour leader faces an uphill battle if he wants to remain in the top job after the 2023 election.
Inflation and increasing social inequality saw Ms Ardern's popularity fall to all-time lows according to opinion polls.
They also suggested public approval of the country's Labour Party was similarly low.
Mr Hipkins' appointment removes the immediate possibility of Justice Minister Kiri Allan becoming the country's first Maori prime minister.
During her resignation announcement, Ms Ardern - who at 37 became the youngest female head of government in the world when she took office in 2017 - said the past five-and-a-half years had been the "most fulfilling" of her life.
However, she added that leading the country during "crisis" had been difficult - with the Covid pandemic, Christchurch mosque shootings and White Island volcanic eruption taking place during her premiership.
Reaction to Ms Ardern's announcement was mixed, with some suggesting she was "running away before getting thrown out".
But renowned New Zealand actor Sam Neill said she had faced "disgraceful" treatment from "bullies" and "misogynists".
If Labour loses the general election Mr Hipkins will have only spent eight months as the nation's leader - although the shortest prime ministerial stint was Harry Atkinson's term in 1884, which lasted just eight days.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.