Leading political figures in New Zealand are condemning the intense harassment and threats directed at Jacinda Ardern, the Labour minister who unexpectedly resigned on Thursday. The pressure she faced has intensified in recent years as public discourse shifted to relentless online scrutiny and nonstop news cycles.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark, the country’s first woman to hold the top post, noted that Ardern encountered unprecedented levels of attack during her tenure, which began in 2017 and saw a re-election in 2020. Clark emphasized that the era of social media, clickbait, and around-the-clock coverage amplified hostility toward Ardern, making the environment far harsher than in the past.
The Maori Party leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, described Ardern as an extraordinary leader who was subjected to constant defamation. Ngarewa-Packer added that Ardern and her family faced the worst kinds of attacks over the last two years.
On Thursday, Ardern announced that she would resign no later than February 7, citing a lack of energy to continue in public service. She stressed that harassment aimed at her or her family was not a deciding factor in her decision but acknowledged the challenging climate surrounding her leadership.
New Zealand Police reported last June that threats against Ardern nearly tripled over the previous three years. The rise coincched with anti-vaccine protests in 2022 and debates over firearm regulations after the Christchurch attack in 2019. Opposition groups, sometimes abusive, have been discussed on Radio New Zealand, with reports that in 2022 several individuals were arrested for threatening to assassinate the leader.
Kate Hannah, director of the Project Against Disinformation in New Zealand, stated that misogyny and violence directed at Ardern had grown not only in volume but also in intensity over the past two years. Ardern’s direct and approachable leadership style earned broad praise at home and abroad, even as support waned amid criticisms of the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns, and the broader economic pressures facing households, including shifts in prices and concerns about a looming recession.