Here comes Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

Here comes Jacinda Ardern, as the new Prime Minister of the country leading a government, which is being so euphorically described as the ‘government of change.’    

There is a clear visible overwhelming euphoria over the prospects of incoming Jacinda Ardern led government being a true ‘government of change’.

The euphoria is written all over the mainstream and social media.

And those in mainstream media who are not subscribing this euphoria of change (read Mike Hosking) are facing social media troll for their seemingly over-indulgent views of resisting the change in the government.

Probably Mike Hosking is suffering from a myopic vision, where often one gets too obsessed with what one is able to see very closely and lives in fear of the unknown of what it is unable to see clearly.

It is time for Mike Hosking and other disgruntled political commentators to move on and accept the change of the government.

The change of government has happened, and Jacinda Ardern is poised to take over the reins of the country on Thursday, October 26, as the new Prime Minister.

If outgoing Prime Minister Bill English can accept the outcome of MMP system of New Zealand democracy, gracefully, then one and all should accept it gracefully, especially those with alternative opinions in mainstream media.

However, it is also prudent to remind political commentators from media and academia who are spawning an undiluted euphoria about the ‘government of change’ to exercise some degree of caution when exhibiting euphoria over this change of government.

The academia and the intelligentsia are often guilty of beating the drum disproportionately on the victory of “left wing” government anywhere around the world.

Bryce Edwards, Lecturer of University of Otago, while commenting as regular columnist of New Zealand Herald, has described the formation of the new government of New Zealand as “The global zeitgeist of anti-Establishment rebellion has truly made its way to New Zealand politics.”

This analysis is clearly off the mark and suffers from the same myopic vision that commentators from the other side of the political divide are suffering.

The last thing that this New Zealand election and the following government formation process was – an “anti-establishment rebellion,” as is argued by Bryce Edwards.

The elevation of the government of Winston Peters and Jacinda Ardern is in no way similar to “anti-establishment rebellion” as observed in the global phenomenon of Trump’s ascendency and Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Mr Peters, despite all his bombastic views on many issues around immigrants, foreigners, foreign buyers along with other issues, had been a man of the establishment who has been in the government with both main political parties of the country on different occasions in last three decades.

Not to forget his exemplary role as the Foreign Minister last time when he was in the government, which has been commended by one and all.

Despite the unprecedented balance of power that he held and exercised in the lead up to the formation of new government, Mr Peters was handed a mere 7 per cent votes in this election and also lost his electorate seat at Northland, which is certainly not a reflection of  “anti-establishment rebellion” in any manner.

And Jacinda Ardern, the latest heartthrob of the nation in the lead up to the election, certainly is the Leader of the country’s oldest political party.

So to conceptualise Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters led government as an outburst of anti-establishment rebellion is an absolute farce.

In fact, the entire election process, despite seeing one of the most fiercely fought election was a perfectly normal electoral process, except that New Zealanders thought to become more passionate than what they are normally known around the world in the lead up to this election.

The verdict, if that means anything at all now, was certainly for a “modified status-quo” rather than a complete “change” as Mr Peters sought to interpret it while declaring his choice of the Labour Party over the National Party on Thursday, October 19.

If the verdict were for a radical change, the National Party would have received a humiliating drubbing, and the main opposition Party would have received overflowing coffers of votes and seats in the parliament and not tantalising dripping of votes and seats as they eventually managed after counting of votes on election night and special votes.

Indeed this was not a vote for radical change that many exponents of euphoria of ‘government of change’ are propagating so erroneously.

It was certainly an outcome of MMP system where sometimes those with marginal views exercise disproportionate power than what their actual vote share allows them in reality.

However, nothing of this takes away the euphoria from the Labour Party to be able to form the new government of the country.

Indeed, Jacinda Ardern has been able to achieve what she set out to achieve about two and half months ago when she re-launched Labour’s election campaign – to form a Labour-led government.

Ms Ardern has every right to bring new ideas, vision, and the new direction in the way to run New Zealand for the next three years (and after if New Zealand electorate would choose that next time when they get a chance to vote for the government.)

The Kiwi-Indian community, like all other New Zealanders who have a clear understanding about the nature of the electoral process, of being just a process to choose the new set of direction for the country, welcomes this ascendency of Jacinda Ardern led Labour Party.

The community is driving strength from the Party’s previous records of engaging with the community and immigrant in general.

Suresh Ramji, the President of Indian Association of New Zealand (IANZ) says “exciting times are ahead with Jacinda Ardern as the new Prime Minister of the country.”

“It’s good to have a change, with a young and vibrant leader leading the new government,” Mr Ramji told The Indian Weekender.

Similarly, Bhiku Bana, president of New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA), also have a similar opinion to share with The Indian Weekender.

In the lead up to the election, The Indian Weekender had numerous chances of speaking with Jacinda Ardern, and other senior members of the Labour caucus who are tipped to be in the cabinet, who equivocally asserted that the Labour-led government would act fast on issues important to the community including law and order.

Therefore it is important to dispel all negativity and scaremongering, if any, within the community towards this new incoming Labour-led government before the government has even started working.