Chris Hipkins was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of New Zealand today. After taking oath, he indicated to improve the economic situation in the country and deal with the epidemic.
Wellington: Chris Hipkins was sworn in as the 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand on Wednesday. He is 44 years old. New Zealand’s public broadcaster RNZ gave this information. Jacinda Ardern left Parliament this morning, after formally handing over power. Hipkins has indicated tackling inflation, the pandemic, will be a top priority for his cabinet.
Hipkins was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and was appointed Minister for COVID-19 in November 2020. He was the Minister of Police, Education and Public Service. The surprise resignation of Jacinda Ardern sparked a contest for the leadership of the Labor Party. Ardern’s shocking decision came after five and a half years in office.
He led the country during the coronovirus epidemic. Ardern said that she knows what sacrifices have to make while holding the post of Prime Minister. She said her government had achieved a lot and she was not standing down because she did not believe Labor could win the next election, but because she thought it could.
Under Ardern, Hipkins held ministerial portfolios in education, police and public services, and was also Leader of the House. Hipkins, as the Minister of Education, centralized all the polytechnics and organized them all under one administrative unit. His decision is not considered completely successful.
He distinguished himself as a hardworking and capable leader in challenging times during the Covid-19 pandemic. Let us tell you that Ardern, who was in the top position for almost five and a half years, surprised her country with a population of 5 million by announcing on January 19 that she was resigning from the post of Prime Minister.
After becoming Prime Minister, Hipkins will hold the post for less than eight months. After this, there will be a general election in the country. According to pre-election polls, the position of the Labor Party is better than the main rival ‘National Party’. Ardern, just 37 years old as prime minister, was praised worldwide for her handling of the worst-ever New Zealand shootings and pandemic, but she was facing considerable political pressure at home. He faced some challenges that New Zealand leaders had not experienced before. Meanwhile, several online comments and threats have been made against her for being a woman.
