Jacinda Ardern Appointed Prime Minister of New Zealand by Education Minister Chris Hepkins | world News

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New Zealand’s education minister is set to become the country’s next prime minister after Jacinda Ardern resigns from the post.

Chris Hipkins, 44, was the only candidate entering the race to replace Ms Ardern, whose final day in the job will be on February 7.

He still has to get approval from his Labor colleagues in Parliament on Sunday, but that is a formality.

“I think we are an incredibly strong team,” he said at a news conference after the party announced him as the sole candidate.

“We went through this process with unity and will continue to do so. I feel really fortunate to be working with such an amazing group of people who have a real commitment to serving the people of New Zealand.”

Hepkins did not spell out his policy plans, but said the cabinet reshuffle proposed by Ms Ardern would go ahead, and Finance Minister Grant Robertson was likely to remain in office.

He added that he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who tweeted that the two had a “warm discussion”.

Photo: Chris Hepkins was the only candidate to enter the race to replace Ms Ardern. Pic: AP

Hepkins rose to public prominence during the pandemic, when he took on a crisis management role.

He will have less than eight months in the role before contesting the October 14 general election.

Ms Ardern choked back tears when she announced Thursday in a country of five million people that she would step down after five and a half years in the job.

She said there was “nothing left in the tank” and that she was able to sleep well “for the first time in a long time” after making the decision to quit.

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She did not use the term burnout, but Professor Sir Cary Cooper, a prominent psychologist and author of Burnout at Work, said he had no doubt that this was what she was alluding to.

Professor Cooper praised Ms Ardern’s honesty and “relatively rare” openness, saying the impact of this kind of frankness would be “extremely positive”.

Some political allies in New Zealand have suggested that Ms Ardern made the decision to leave because of the level of abuse she received during her time in power.

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