Wellington, 26 January 2023 (TDI): Chris Hipkins was sworn in as New Zealand’s new Prime Minister yesterday, formally completing the transfer of power from Jacinda Ardern, who officially resigned moments earlier.
Governor General Dame Cindy held a ceremony to appoint Chris Hipkins as the country’s new leader. Also, Carmel Sepuloni was appointed as the new Deputy Prime Minister.
It is pertinent to note that at the ceremony, Hipkins was also appointed as Minister of National Security and Intelligence.
Statements made by the new Prime Minister
The new Prime Minister described the position as “the greatest responsibility” of his life during the investiture ceremony. This ceremony was held at the Government House.
“This is the biggest privilege and responsibility of my life,” Hipkins said after formally taking office. “I’m energized and excited by the challenges ahead.”
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The ceremony took place moments after Jacinda Ardern officially resigned as Prime Minister of New Zealand. She presented her resignation to the country’s Governor General.
After that, she left the New Zealand Government House for the last time, where she was greeted by a crowd of people. These included the cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, staff, and spectators, whom she greeted.
Moreover, last week, the now-former Prime Minister made a surprise announcement of her resignation to lead the country and the Labor Party. The leader underlined that she no longer had the strength to carry out such undertakings.
Jacinda Ardern became the world’s youngest Prime Minister when she was elected at the age of 37 in 2017. During her tenure, she dealt with the Christchurch mosque shooting.
After her re-election she guided New Zealand through the pandemic, managing to become one of the first countries free of coronavirus cases.
However, New Zealand’s incumbent Prime Minister has promised a back-to-basics approach focusing on the economy and what he described as the “pandemic of inflation.”
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