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The 2017 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was held on 1 August 2017 to choose the next Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Deputy Leader and Mount Albert MP Jacinda Ardern.
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The 2017 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election was held on 1 August 2017 to choose the next Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. The election was won by Deputy Leader and Mount Albert MP Jacinda Ardern.
Labour leader Andrew Little had led Labour since 2014 and, after several poor results, announced his intention to retire from the leadership on 1 August 2017, following intense media speculation. [1] According to Ardern, Little had previously approached her on her birthday, 26 July, and stated he thought she should take over as party leader, as he was of the opinion he could not turn things around for Labour. Ardern said she had refused, telling him to "stick it out". [2]
As Ardern was the only officially nominated candidate, she was universally elected as party leader and took over Little's role as Leader of the Opposition as well. Kelvin Davis was then elected unopposed as deputy leader filling the vacancy caused by Ardern's elevation. [3] At 37, Ardern became the youngest leader of the Labour Party. She is also the second woman to lead the party after Helen Clark. Ardern's tenure as leader began just eight weeks before the 2017 general election, and at a press conference following her election as leader, she said that the forthcoming election campaign would be one of "relentless positivity". [4]
Immediately following the announcement that Ardern had been elected leader, Labour was inundated with donations by the public, at their peak reaching NZ$700 per minute. [5] Ardern's election was followed by a spate of positive coverage from many sections of the media, including international outlets such as CNN, [6] with commentators referring to a 'Jacinda effect' and 'Jacindamania'. [7] [8] Labour also rose dramatically upon Ardern's elevation to the leadership; by late August they had risen to 43 per cent in the Colmar Brunton poll (having been 24 per cent before the leadership change) as well as managing to overtake National in opinion polls for the first time in over a decade. [2] In the last week of the campaign, the party dropped in the polls, and achieved second place behind National in the preliminary results of the 23 September election. However National did not secure a majority, leaving New Zealand First as kingmaker, which negotiated with both parties about a coalition agreement. On 19 October 2017, it was announced that Labour had formed a government with New Zealand First and the Greens, and making Ardern Prime Minister.
Andrew Little was later lauded by Labour supporters for putting aside his personal ambition to allow Ardern to lead Labour, which saw a swift reversal of fortunes. His decision was labelled a "selfless masterstroke" and he was praised for his integrity and selflessness. [9] Little acknowledged later that the decision to stand aside was a painful one but got over it quickly knowing that his move had paid off for Labour. [10] He was then elected as a Cabinet Minister by the Labour caucus following Labour's formation of a government. [11]
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Andrew James Little is a New Zealand lawyer, former politician and former trade union official. He was Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2017 and a senior minister in the Labour governments led by Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins from 2017 to 2023, including as Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Minister of Justice, Minister of Health and Minister of Defence.
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Dame Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern is a former New Zealand politician who served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. She was a Labour member of Parliament (MP) as a list MP from 2008 to 2017, and for Mount Albert from 2017 to 2023.
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The 2017 Mount Albert by-election was a New Zealand by-election held in the Mount Albert electorate on 25 February 2017 during the 51st New Zealand Parliament. The seat was vacated following the resignation of David Shearer, a former Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.
Helen Ione White is a New Zealand politician. In 2020 she became a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party. In 2023, she was chosen by Labour to contest the Mount Albert electorate, previously held by former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. White won the seat, holding it for Labour, but by a significantly reduced margin of 18 votes.
The 52nd New Zealand Parliament was a meeting of the legislature in New Zealand, which opened on 7 November 2017 following the 2017 general election and dissolved on 6 September 2020. The New Zealand Parliament comprises the Sovereign and the House of Representatives, which consists of 120 members.
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The resignation of Jacinda Ardern as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party was announced on 19 January 2023, at a press conference given by Ardern at the War Memorial Centre in Napier, Hawke's Bay. Ardern, who had been in office since 2017, cited occupational burnout as the primary reason for her resignation. She stated that she "no longer had enough in the tank" to fulfil the demands of the premiership, and that she would not be seeking re-election at 2023 New Zealand general election. She also expressed hope that she would spend more time with her family, and that she had left behind a legacy that one "can be kind, but strong" and "your own kind of leader – one that knows when it’s time to go."
40th Prime Minister (2017–2023) • Leader of the Labour Party (2017–2023) • Member of Parliament for Mount Albert (2017–2023) | ||
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