MEDIA RELEASE
THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017
Deputy Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern Reveals the Real Reason She Doesn’t Want to Be Prime Minister in a Candid Interview
Deputy Labour leader Jacinda Ardern will be quietly happy her preferred prime minister rating has decreased by almost 4
per cent in the latest poll results.
The charismatic MP has shot down claims that she’s after the party’s top job, telling NEXT magazine in a candid
exclusive interview that, despite the positive reaction to her promotion in March, she’s not holding out to become
leader and the reason may surprise many.
“It’s me knowing myself and knowing that actually, when you’re a bit of an anxious person, and you constantly worry
about things, there comes a point where certain jobs are just really bad for you,” Ardern says. “I hate letting people
down. I hate feeling like I’m not doing the job as well as I should. I’ve got a pretty big weight of responsibility
right now; I can’t imagine doing much more than that.”
The 36-year-old politician has revealed her true feelings in the interview with NEXT magazine, sharing an open and
honest account of life in the public eye.
Ardern opens up about her anxiety, the relationship that holds her together, and her frustration with being in
opposition.
“It’s like being in a supermarket and trying to pick which queue to go into, and not knowing if you should jump out of
that queue, because suddenly you’re going to be next at the counter, or you’re not. That’s what opposition feels like.
Except it’s a line that’s been going for nine years,” she says. “I’m just so desperate for us to be in a position where
we can make a difference.”
She also talks of her desire to be a mother but also the tough dilemma she faces when it comes to her career and the
decision to have a family, admitting she didn’t want to leave politics feeling like she’d given everything up for it.
The exclusive eight-page interview is the cover story of the July issue of NEXT magazine, on sale June 19.
• Note to editors: It is mandatory to run the accompanying cover image if any quotes or video are lifted from this
release.
• To embed the video on your website please use: [bjd-responsive-iframe src="//players.brightcove.net/121c5088-8069-41b4-8a1d-23d11db9fe47_default/index.html?videoId=5471439977001"]
For more digital updates from NEXT and to read more, visit New Zealand’s largest website for women and NEXT’s new online
home www.nowtolove.co.nz