Editorial: Pregnant Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern leading by example

Hawke's Bay Today News Editor James Ford. Photo / File.

We've had the weekend to reflect on baby-gate.

And Jacinda Ardern added a little more spice to the debate yesterday when she confirmed that she will donate part of her salary during maternity leave to Plunket in remarks at a family-friendly Labour Party caucus retreat in Wairarapa.

Linda Hall's editorial in Saturday's Hawke's Bay Today touched on the very mixed reaction to the announcement that the Prime Minister was pregnant.

Taking a step back from party loyalties and personal preferences this weekend I reflected on the bigger picture, or at least what I felt it was.

Ms Ardern is a ground-breaking, glass ceiling-smashing breath of fresh air.
Not only is she just the third female prime minister, but our second youngest, too.

Sir Edward Stafford narrowly pipped her to that post by 52 days when he took up office in 1856.

And now she is our first prime minister to fall pregnant.

Ms Ardern has seemingly handled the unwarranted scrutiny towards her decision to remain in her position with grace and responded with an admirable gesture.

"There is no mechanism for MPs to have their salary change in any way [but] I'd like to give a donation to Plunket because of the fact that whilst I'll still be present, my job will be downscaled for the six weeks that I'm away," she said.

Pregnancy is hard enough, my partner and I are expecting our second child a month after the Prime Minister.

But throw leading a country into the mix and one can only imagine the depth of character it takes to handle both.

It's a fine example of how far we have come as a society as the shackles of tradition no longer define a person.

Our Prime Minister is, as he or she should, leading by example.