Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Power Play: New Zealand has a new prime minister - at least in name - just a few days after Jacinda Ardern announced her shock departure.
There's a new Chris in town - Chris Hipkins is to lead the country and take on National's Christopher Luxon across the aisle.
The leadership was decided in less than 48 hours, in a clean and tightly run contest. Intense talks over the past few days resulted in Hipkins being put forward as the sole nominee, avoiding any messy conflict or inter-factional fighting.
He is one of Ardern's close political allies; Hipkins, Ardern and deputy prime minister Grant Robertson all came into Parliament in the class of 2008, at the end of a long period of Labour in government, and then plunged straight into the chaos of opposition.
The three of them saw up close the battles and dysfunction within their own party as Labour flailed around after John Key and National took office. The same story played out within National after 2017, but any satisfaction from older Labour hands was tempered with the not-so-distant memory of their own experience, and the knowledge it could happen to them again.
They knew as well as anyone the carnage a party can inflict on itself once the leadership is up for grabs; during this process there has been minimal political damage, with the election of Hipkins himself.
There are still caucus formalities that will happen early tomorrow afternoon at Parliament: Hipkins has to be endorsed by at least two thirds of MPs, and - if the deputy position is vacated by Kelvin Davis - a new person elected.
Once the leader is in place, Ardern will formally tender her resignation to the Governor-General as prime minister, and Hipkins would then be sworn in.
There will be no time to ease into the job; he would likely dive right into the regular round of Monday media interviews, travel to Rātana on Tuesday, then chair the first Cabinet meeting of the year on Wednesday.
While a close political friend of Ardern, Hipkins will bring a different style. He has shown the ability to perform under high pressure during the pandemic as the main minister in charge, by and large across the detail and a calm and competent performer.
Hipkins enjoys the cut and thrust with the press gallery but going into the cauldron of being prime minister is a massive step up. Having been a senior member of Cabinet will stand him in good stead but there are areas like foreign affairs - so critical at the moment - where he will have to rapidly get up to speed.
Chris Hipkins speaks alongside Jacinda Ardern at a Covid-19 press conference in 2021. Photo: POOL / Stuff / Robert Kitchin
Capital gains tax and increasing the age of superannuation were off the table under Ardern - will he put either back on the agenda? The Greens may also be eyeing an opportunity, if Hipkins operates as more of a centrist than Ardern, that could open up some room on the left for the Greens to pick up some votes.
Known as "Chippy" around Parliament, he has a good sense of humour, the infamous "spread your legs" quote during a Covid briefing, and happily being trolled about his love for Coca-Cola (now kombucha) and sausage rolls.
NZ’s Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins wants to make sure that we can all have the opportunity to spread our legs. Thank you Minister! #SpreadYourLegsNZ pic.twitter.com/Mb9W1TlDsX
— Cleo (@cleotibbitts) August 22, 2021
In saying that, Hipkins can be a bit of a political scrapper and it will be interesting to see how much of that he brings to the job as opposed to Ardern who (with the exception of Seymour and the "arrogant prick" comment) by and large kept to the "kind" in her political interactions.
When Ardern first announced she was stepping down, the assumption was her deputy and close confidante Grant Robertson would be her successor, but he ruled himself out very quickly. He had been heavily lobbied by other MPs, but made only brief comments on the day itself, referring to his decision in 2014 to never again seek the leadership.
He's explained his position in a bit more detail in a social media post saying the "bottom line is that confronted with a decision about putting myself forward now, it was clear to me at this point in my life and career, it is not a role that I have the desire to do".
Robertson says working alongside Ardern had been "hugely fulfilling" but also gave him the chance to "understand up close just what the job of being PM entails".
"It is a huge role, one that is all consuming, more so than any other Ministerial role in this regard, including the ones I hold," he said.
Subject to the leader's approval, Robertson said he was keen to stay on as finance minister and help "navigate New Zealand through tough times".
