Jacinda Ardern is young, popular and a woman. Those qualities have been entirely absent from the Labour Party leadership since Helen left. It’s about time they were brought back.
The last four leaders of the Labour Party have been relatively interchangeable, at least on the surface. Phil Goff, David Shearer, David Cunliffe and Andrew Little all share certain elements of identity: white, middle-aged, male. The obvious issue arises with each successor having great difficulty defining themselves as distinct in the eyes of an increasingly indifferent public.
This is one of the main reasons that Labour has had trouble distinguishing itself from National. Evidently, the most popular character-type for a white, male New Zealand politician has been the “average Kiwi bloke”. John Key has cemented this image for himself since he rose to power in 2006, producing the crushing reality for white, male opposition leaders that they are competing for the status of the easy-going guy that loves beer and rugby and also just happens to be prime minister.
So, in short, the opposition needs a change, at least in appearance. Cue Jacinda Ardern. Young, enthusiastic and a woman. All distinctly different elements from the previous line-up of interchangeable leaders. But we’re talking about the deputy leadership … for now.
When Andrew Little became leader at the start of the year, he appointed — to the surprise of many — veteran MP Annette King as deputy leader of the party, with the condition that after the first year she would be replaced. Speculation arose that Ardern was originally tapped to be Little’s deputy but refused out of loyalty to her long-time pal and political mentor, Grant Robertson. I strongly suspected this myself because of how adamant Ardern had been about only being deputy to Grant Robertson. However, my opinion was changed during my first-ever conversation with Dunedin North MP, David Clark.
I smugly told him what I thought of the make-up of the new leadership, an opinion he very politely and quickly dismantled. He said that Annette King was the best possible choice for a deputy to complement a first-time leader and a relatively inexperienced MP. King has been around for a long time and has proven herself as a highly effective operator — just watch her on the Paul Henry Show on a Friday morning. What King brought to the leadership was strong and effective management of a somewhat displaced Labour caucus following a dismal election year.
Andrew Little’s instincts were right. King has managed the caucus well. However, it’s nearly been a year since Little became leader. His initial assurance that a new deputy would succeed King was one of his best decisions, and its true effects have not yet been realised.
Appointing a new deputy is a good move for the same reason as Jacinda Ardern is a good candidate: politics is about perception. Annette King provided smooth sailing for Labour through the aftermath of the 2014 election but, 12 months on, it’s clear that the storm is mostly gone. Now is the time to refine a new and different perception of Labour, one that actively highlights the diversity it so often promotes. Electing Jacinda Ardern as deputy leader would be a definitive example of how Labour sets itself apart, and would perhaps even help to win an election.