New Zealand's New Direction?

BY CHRISTOPHER EAMES

Yesterday, New Zealand announced a new prime minister. The new nominee will be steering New Zealand in a different direction—and the significance goes beyond New Zealand’s coasts. This election portends a number of new developments: Consider a sharp deterioration in United States-New Zealand and United Kingdom-New Zealand relations, with a very possible separation from the British monarchy. Consider a sharp rise in abortions and national debt, as well as increased financial burden for the farming industry. These are not wild assumptions from a pro-National supporter (I do not support any New Zealand party); these are quite undisguised, clear developments that the country is steering toward under the new leadership.

New Zealand’s national elections had actually been concluded three weeks ago, with the conservative National Party winning by a good margin for a singular party. Nearly half of the public voted for outgoing Prime Minister Bill English’s National Party. However, a coalition was required, and for the past three weeks tensions have been high as the undecided New Zealand First party determined whether to back National or the left-wing Labour Party bloc. In a surprise announcement earlier today, it chose the latter, making Jacinda Ardern New Zealand’s new prime minister.

Jacinda Ardern is the world’s newest so-called “rockstar” leader, and her “Jacindamania” effect has been likened to the rise of the U.S.’s Barack Obama and Canada’s Justin Trudeau. At 37, she is New Zealand’s second-youngest Prime Minister and its third female in the office. All this is quite impressive, considering she’s only led her Labour Party for two and a half months.

Ardern has made clear her political standing. A social democrat, she has been involved with the Labour Party from her teenage years, and considers former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark a “political hero.” She has been outspoken on several social issues, and from 2008 to 2010, she was president of the International Union of Socialist Youth. Here are some of the issues and topics that have come to the fore as a result of Ardern’s election.

Monarchy

Ardern is also a staunch republican, wanting to finally cut New Zealand’s ties with the British monarchy. She has expressed the desire to start a “national discussion” about establishing a republic. Her opinion of the monarchy appears to parallel that of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Turnbull has said that after the current Queen of England lives out the rest of her reign, he plans to call for a decision on Australia’s status under the monarchy. Whatever Australia does in this regard, there is no doubt New Zealand will follow suit—if it doesn’t get to it first. Jacinda Ardern has not issued a similar time frame for a debate or perhaps referendum on becoming a republic. There is still some national attachment to the Queen; however, resentment toward a King Charles runs high, both in Australia and New Zealand. It is a similar story in Canada. We may see all three nations leave the commonwealth in a very few short years.

United States

Jacinda Ardern was quick to express her disapproval of United States President Donald Trump’s election, tweeting in November 2016, “I thought I understood humanity.”

After Trump’s inauguration in January, Ardern joined in New Zealand’s retaliatory “Women’s March” (also called “Women Against Trump”), where she was a keynote speaker. Along with another demeaning Instagram post on Trump’s election, it doesn’t take much imagination to wonder how U.S.-New Zealand relations will play out in the future.

Social Issues

Jacinda Ardern has been very much a liberal in support of several social issues. She is a staunch supporter of homosexual rights in New Zealand, contrary to her Mormon upbringing (she is currently agnostic). She has taken part in Gay Pride parades, last year featuring her own float for the parade. After New Zealand bishop Brian Tamaki blamed New Zealand’s recent disastrous earthquakes on homosexuality, Ardern called him out with an open letter, criticizing his closed-mindedness and taking a sarcastic stab at members not paying enough tithes.

Ardern also has liberal views on abortion, which featured in her run for office. Abortion is still a crime in New Zealand, except for circumstances such as danger to the mother’s physical or mental health. As such, New Zealanders desiring an abortion for abortion’s sake simply travel to Australia to undergo the procedure. Ardern campaigned to rever se the criminality laws on abortion, in the hope of making it convenient for women to abort while still at home in New Zealand. We’ll have to see how New Zealand’s laws will be modified to this effect. It’s inevitable that abortion will become legal in New Zealand (and thus become more widespread). The only real debate on this will be the parameters.

Economic Issues

The incoming Labour government campaigned on the pledge to make education free for college and university students. This plan will gradually come into effect over the next several years. Ardern’s Labour also plans to boost student allowances. Money has got to come from somewhere for this to happen. The already high amount of money being borrowed will become that much greater. Added to this is Ardern’s support for the welfare state and pledge to eradicate child poverty. These kinds of blanket economic promises are hugely problematic, though, because New Zealand is already catastrophically in debt.

New Zealand’s national debt is at around $530 billion and rising (us$371 billion). That may not seem like much, when compared to the much-discussed U.S. debt of $20 trillion. But New Zealand’s population is only 4.7 million. That means that New Zealand debt per person (us$80,000) is far higher than U.S. debt per person (us$63,000). New Zealand has turned into a thin veneer of an economy. And the new Labour government is only looking to borrow even more, no doubt from Chinese lenders looking to maneuver themselves into an advantageous position over a crippled nation.

One of Labour’s ways to try to balance the books is by introducing a new proposed tax on water and pollution. This has infuriated farmers, who will be the ones to feel a greater burden on an already straining industry. And considering the total national debt, taxes like these are only minor bandages applied to a decapitated body.