New Kiwi PM Chris Hipkins says it’s about time New Zealand had ‘a ginger at the top’

Chris Hipkins has stated that it is about time New Zealand had a ‘redhead at the top’ as he first appeared in the media as Jacinda Ardern’s successor.

The incoming Labor leader admitted he doesn’t have the best “fashion sense in Parliament” after being asked how he would describe himself.

“I would say that the people who make those comments are not standing in front of mirrors,” he joked during a news conference in Wellington on Saturday.

Hipkins said he initially missed a call from Anthony Albanese, but later confirmed that he had spoken to the Australian prime minister and also to Ardern.

“I had a conversation with Anthony Albanese, it’s great to be able to talk to him, I hope to be able to talk to him in person pretty soon,” he said.

“It’s clearly a very important relationship for New Zealand.”

He also defended his handling of the Covid pandemic as the nation’s responsible minister at the time, saying there are “of course” some things he would have done differently if he’d had his time again.

Ms Ardern announced her surprise resignation during an emotional news conference on Thursday, citing burnout after five and a half years on the job.

His surprise departure, unknown in his party room until a few hours earlier, sent Labor MPs scrambling to find a replacement as party leader and prime minister.

Hipkins, a trusted Ardern ally, emerged as the consensus candidate and was the sole nominee for the job in a hastily called leadership vote.

He told the media that he enjoyed cycling, gardening and DIY.

“I am who I am,” he said.

The incoming prime minister agreed with a reporter’s claim of a heightened level of ‘vitriol’ in Kiwi politics, saying Ms Ardern had suffered from ‘absolutely intolerable and unacceptable behaviour’.

The senior MPs were tight-lipped as they held talks in Napier, where they had traveled for the holiday retreat, and back in Wellington on Friday.

No parliamentarians signaled their intention to run before the nominations deadline at 9 am on Saturday, sticking to a pact to hold internal discussions.

Shortly after that deadline passed, the party’s whip Duncan Webb informed MPs about the only candidate: Mr Hipkins.

The 44-year-old will be confirmed as party leader at a caucus meeting on Sunday, confirming his rise to the top job in New Zealand politics.

The Remutaka MP is a well-liked member of parliament, known for his sense of humor and his enjoyment of sausage rolls.

He is a lifelong Labor member, volunteering for the party at a young age, becoming president of his university students’ union and entering parliament in 2008 on the same admission as Ms Ardern.

Hipkins is a trusted political ally of Ardern’s and has been given tough jobs, such as Covid-19 minister and police minister, when safe hands were needed.

The two are close friends and take their young children to play outside of parliament.

Mr. Hipkins is also a political warrior with an enthusiasm for scoring that has led him to cross the line.

His most notable episode for Australians came in 2017, when he used parliament to seek information about Barnaby Joyce’s dual citizenship status, drawing criticism from Australia’s then Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Ms. Ardern in a rare dispute between Tasmania.

This week Labor MPs were quick to see Hipkins as their best option to follow Ardern, especially given Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson’s decision to rule himself out.

The 44-hour process did not allow rank-and-file Labor members or the New Zealand public a say in the choice of prime minister.

Both Hipkins and Ardern argued that this was crucial in allowing government stability.

“The most important thing is that we focus on a process that is fast, that ensures the team can quickly get back to focusing on the issues that matter to New Zealand,” said Ms Ardern.

While the public was not included in the process, Hipkins appears to be the popular choice.

A variety of polls by the New Zealand media and polling agencies confirmed that he was the most popular Labor MP to follow in Mrs Ardern’s footsteps.

Local media are also reporting that Labor MPs may rethink their deputy leader role, which is currently held by Kelvin Davis.

Kiritapu Allan and Carmel Sepuloni have been mentioned as possible leadership partners for Hipkins, who is likely to be sworn in as prime minister next week.

Ardern will leave parliament entirely in April, before national elections on October 14.