Jacinda Ardern: podcast appearances and interviews

Dame Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern, born on 26 July 1980, is a former New Zealand politician who served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. She was a member of Parliament from 2008 to 2023, representing Mount Albert from 2017 to 2023, and was previously a list MP. Raised in Morrinsville and Murupara, Ardern joined the Labour Party at age 17 and graduated from the University of Waikato in 2001. She worked as a researcher in the office of then-Prime Minister Helen Clark and later as an adviser in the UK Cabinet Office during Tony Blair's tenure. In 2008, she was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth and was subsequently elected to Parliament in the 2008 general election. Following her unopposed election as Labour leader in 2017, she led her party to increased support and formed a coalition government, becoming the world's youngest female head of government at age 37. Ardern’s tenure was marked by significant events including her swift response to the Christchurch mosque shootings, which resulted in strict gun laws, and her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, which earned international praise. She moved Labour further to the centre and secured a majority government in 2020. In 2023, citing a lack of capacity, she announced her resignation and stepped down from leadership and the prime ministership amid challenges related to the economy, housing, and public sentiment.