Labour leader Jacinda Ardern will be New Zealand’s youngest ever female PM
An interview in which New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern was described as “attractive” and quizzed about her baby’s conception has been criticised as “sexist” and “creepy”.
Ardern, who is set to become the second-ever prime minister to give birth in office (the first being Benazir Bhutto, revealed her pregnancy in January, three months after taking office.
She and partner Clarke Gayford, a television fishing presenter, sat down with Australian reporter Charles Wooley for news programme 60 Minutes.
However, the broadcast on Sunday night rubbed many New Zealand viewers the wrong way. “Much of Wooley's profile was either devoted to the Ardern's impending arrival or fishing questions for ‘the first bloke’ Gayford,” says Stuff.co.nz.
“I’ve met a lot of prime ministers in my time,” Wooley said at one point. “But none so young, not too many so smart, and never one so attractive.”
Questions like “How did a nice person like you get into the sordid world of politics?” were widely criticised online as condescending and sexist.
He asks Ardern, with the senility of grandpa in the ward, "What's a nice person like you doing in politics?" Later, he makes a speech: "I've met a lot of Prime Ministers in my time, but none so young, and never so attractive." A horror by @SteveBraunias: https://t.co/BSEq6qUcyu
— Harrison Christian (@germalist) February 26, 2018
PM Jacinda Ardern should have walked from the so-called interview on 60mins. Not an interview. It was demeaning. PM give yourself permission to remove yourself from such abuse.
— Nedina Hohaia (@NedinaHohaia) February 25, 2018
At times Ardern and Gayford appeared “visibly uncomfortable”, says Stuff.co.nz - and no more so than when Wooley quizzed the couple on their due date before musing: “Why shouldn’t a child be conceived during an election campaign?”
Ardern then “appeared to roll her eyes”, says The Guardian, before clarifying that the election was “done” before she became pregnant, adding: “Not that we need to get into those details.”
Many viewers were equally turned off by the invasive line of questioning:
When have you ever heard of a male head of state being asked when he conceived his child?! https://t.co/kesMCL3lRJ
— Cynthia Balogh (@1cynthiabalogh) February 26, 2018
Dear New Zealand, our best mate, you know how everyone has a creepy Uncle you need to avoid at Xmas parties? Sorry we got him to interview your PM. Please tell @jacindaardern we reckon it was gross.
Love, Australia https://t.co/B9Bz3AQRsk— Belinda Barnet (@manjusrii) February 26, 2018
However, Wooley defended the personal nature of questions on the grounds that the Labour leader’s policy programme “wasn't what Australian viewers were interested in”. He told the New Zealand Herald that the blowback amounted to “Orwellian” thought policing.
Addressing the backlash today, Ardern admitted that being asked about her conception date “threw me a little bit”, but said she had already faced similar questions from the New Zealand press. “It would be going a bit far to say I was somehow offended by it,” she added.
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