Jacinda Ardern's "Personal Brand" in Tatters

The Weakest Prime Minister in Living Memory

It gets a bit stupid when politicians, media and talking heads devolve to the stage of talking about the Prime Minister's "personal brand".  Spare us all.  Yet, so it has come to pass.

Prime Minister Ardern has a rogue MP who happens to be a Minister of the Crown, but who operates according to his own world-view.  Ardern has proved herself incapable as the Prime Minister to rein in the rebel Minister.

The Political Editor of  Radio NZ has this to say:

It's an uncomfortable position for a coalition Prime Minister - having a minister go rogue but having only two stark decisions: risk collapsing the government or tolerate open defiance.  Comments from Shane Jones about Indian students have been condemned as racist, including by one of his own Cabinet colleagues.

Jones has doubled down after saying Indian students have ruined academic institutions, insisting he was speaking as a New Zealand First MP, not a government minister.  Therein lies the rub for the Prime Minister and Labour Party leader, Jacinda Ardern.

Ardern cannot bring herself to muscle up and bring the rogue MP--who is one of her Cabinet Ministers--to heel.  At this point the Prime Minister has lost all moral authority.

There are those, including yours truly, who have always believed that Jacinda Ardern is politically bound to "optics".  The image is the reality in her world.  Parading with genuine world leaders is worth a thousand ethical words and deeds.  When confronted by Shane Jones she has folded like a pack of smelly old cards.   

National Party leader Simon Bridges said . . .  Ardern should act.  "Just tut-tutting and then saying 'look he's in another party' just doesn't cut it... Shane Jones is in a different party but he is her minister."  All of the pressure is on Ardern.

She has to make the call whether it is worth it to take a hard line against Jones - and his views that directly clash with her own personal brand - or absorb the criticism of keeping him in her Cabinet with no consequences.

Ardern's "personal brand" is worthless garbage now.  She has become our own Hilary Clinton.