Q&A - Jacinda Ardern, MP (Labour)

Jacinda Ardern, MP

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Auckland, specifically at the Mt. Albert campus of Unitec.  I was there as one of the panelists in the Ethnic Media Forum organised by Unitec's Department of Communication Studies.  My talk focused on the diversity of programmes on the radio.  There were panelists and attendees from academe, media industry, NGOs, government, ethnic communities, and one of them, who sat right behind me was Jacinda Ardern.  I had the privilege of conducting a Q&A with her a couple of months ago (which appeared in an older blog).  I would like to re post it here.

Jacinda is your Labour List MP based in Auckland Central.  Young, dynamic, positive and may I say very pretty, although I haven't met her personally, Jacinda is what the future of New Zealand should be.  Her current parliamentary roles are: Member (Law & Order Committee), Spokesperson for Children, Corrections, Police, and Arts, Culture & Heritage.  Jacinda took time from her busy schedule to kindly answer my Q&A.  She is one of the shining lights in Parliament.  New Zealand's future is in safe hands with Jacinda in the House!

Q: What is your proudest achievement up to this moment?
A: I am proud to be a member of the Labour Party, but being elected to Parliament represent a movement with such a long proud history was a real honour.  I do still wish my Nana was alive to share the moment.  She was a staunch Labour lady!

Q: Name three people, dead or alive, you'll like to have dinner with, and why?
A: Earnest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer and one of my heroes!  His story of survival during the Endurance expedition is amazing and I would love to hear it in person.  Nelson Mandela.  I was lucky enough to meet him in person a few years ago.  What an amazing man.  And finally, Wislawa Szymborska.  She is a Polish poet.  She lived through World War Two, and went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.  Her writing is amazing, but I would love to hear her stories in person!

Q: Are you a cat or dog person, and why?
A: I have always loved dogs but was never allowed one, so I grew up with cats and love them too.  Can I be both?  Right now, I would be a better cat owner than a dog owner.  I am never home!

Q: Where in NZ is the place you can call as your sanctuary, and why?
A: Morrinsville.  It's where I grew up and my mum and dad still have a home there.  It's a lovely quiet place to go and recharge, and see my mum!

Q: Something not many people know about you.
A: The first thing I ever learned to drive was a bright red Massey Ferguson tractor.  Which I crashed.

Q: If you could travel back in time, where and when would it be, and why?
A: Can I have two?  The 60s and 70s to witness Beatlemania, and the era of the first Labour government.  Savage is every Labour MPs hero, and I love the legacy that government left behind.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: To be a good MP, daughter and friend.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen, our very own Jacinda Ardern, MP "Standing up not only for Auckland Central but more for New Zealand."  And may I add that at the forum she listened more to the speakers and the talks rather than dominate the conversation like some politicians I know of.