NZ's Rock Star Prime Minister

Untested, Untried, and Untrue

For many months now, NZ's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has appeared to us to be a girl attempting to do a woman's job.  Beyond the photo opportunities there just does not seem to be much of substance.  This makes us uneasy, to say the least.  

The latest bout of visceral discomfort arises from her inability to be transparent over her relationship with convicted criminal, Karel Sroubek and his friend/supporter Richie Hardcore.  The latter has connections and ties to the Labour Party and the Greens.

When the Minister of Immigration, Iain Lees-Galloway decided to grant  Sroubek (who is still in prison) residency, Ardern raced to his defence.

Jacinda Ardern threw herself all in from the get-go. Initially asked why the convicted drug smuggler was granted residency, the Prime Minister told us to "read between the lines". Between the lines she wanted us to know that Sroubek's safety - even his life - was in danger if he was forced to return to the Czech Republic. [Tova O'Brien, Newshub]

When she made that decision (only to backtrack later when more facts about Sroubek came into public purview) she was sent a congratulatory e-mail from her and Sroubek's mate, Richie Hardcore on her personal e-mail.  She has subsequently denied receiving such a communication, then has had to backtrack, without publishing the actual message.


It all looks sneaky, underhand, and unprofessional.  It looks as if Ardern has something to hide.  Ardern's defence amounts to a belief that the e-mail from Hardcore is a triviality to which she did not bother to reply.

But such assessments and judgements are not hers to make.  She is now the Prime Minister of the country.  Trying to keep communications with a correspondent (who just happens to be a friend of a criminal) under wraps because they are private matters is strange to say the least.

As it stands the Prime Minister isn't releasing her texts with Mr Hardcore because she's decided it's not in the public interest. That's not her call to make. It should be for the Ombudsman to decide, and it's a decision she could have proactively sought guidance on months ago when Sroubek first became a household name and her Government first started fielding questions about who was lobbying on Sroubek's behalf.

Ms Ardern promised to lead the most open and transparent Government New Zealand has seen. That doesn't mean picking and choosing to be open and transparent when it benefits her. 

Can Ardern be trusted?  It is looking less and less likely.  Or is it that her "heart's in the right place" but she is inexperienced and inept--a girl attempting to do a woman's job? Whichever it may be, our unease over her leadership of the country grows.