Disaffected New Zealanders turn against Jacinda Ardern

Jacinda Ardern has seen her lead in the polls steadily eroded over the course of this yearMany voters believe the prime minister revealed her true self with a coarse remark in parliament, which is bad news for her attempt to secure a third term in officeNew Zealanders are used to their prime minister asking them to be nice to each other. At the height of the pandemic the message “Be strong, be kind” was plastered everywhere from school noticeboards to the big screen at Eden Park rugby ground. It encapsulated Jacinda Ardern’s popular brand of empathetic but decisive leadership as she moved swiftly to shut the borders and keep the new coronavirus out. “Whatever happened to the “be kind” mantra,” wrote one critic on Twitter. Hot mic moment: New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern calls minor opposition party leader an ‘arrogant prick'David Seymour, leader of the right-wing Act