The Prime Minister's recent Covid-19 diagnosis resulted in a logistical headache for all those involved with her pre-planned US trip, including the White House. Video / Zoom / NZ Herald
Opinion
OPINION:
When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was asked if she'd considered shortening her trip to the US because of her own Covid-19, she said no very firmly.
"I have a job to do."
That job is hustling in the US market.
Ardern started that in New York overnight - Itis going through its fifth wave of Covid. The streets are quieter than when she last visited. Some familiar places have closed down, but the restaurants say the European tourists have now started to return.
Ardern said there is a significant spinoff from going into such markets herself to put NZ's shingle out.
That spin-off is hard to measure, but she is right and she is also the right person to try to get it.
Ardern is not a household name in the US but she does have pulling power.
New York is a happy place for her. She was feted when she first visited for the UN in 2018 with baby Neve in tow. Her handling of the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque attacks only enhanced that.
So she gets opportunities with big media outlets and other connections in the US that the leader of a small nation might not normally get.
The Late Show, Harvard, the editors of major travel publications, and the ears of major tech companies.
The interest in her has given her opportunities she is leaning on again now. All of that is good for business.
PM Jacinda Ardern on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2018. Photo / Supplied
She began in New York at the business end - literally - trying to open doors for NZ companies and to get tourists to come back.
This time round Ardern is not only trying to persuade people to overlook the long flights and the cost of a holiday in New Zealand.
She also has to combat Covid-19 wariness.
As she visits, New York is facing its fifth wave of Covid-19.
New Zealand is still in its first wave of Covid, but its Covid-free advantage is no longer - and it was never realistic once the borders reopened anyway.
United States travel advisories had warned against travel to New Zealand while Omicron was spreading.
Ardern will have to try to dispel concerns travellers might have about catching Covid-19 in New Zealand - and the restrictions that might apply if they do.
Ardern was quick to point out New Zealand was not the only country with restrictions: the US has plenty of its own, as she had discovered through personal experience.
Otherwise those in the US do not give a hoot about the domestic troubles that have buffeted her polling at home.
But this trip will do her no harm at home either.
Labour's relationship with business has faltered as a result of the Covid-19 response, and wider government reforms that impact on business.
The relationship between business and government is critical.
Unleashing Brand Ardern in their favour on the US market at such a critical time might just help patch it up a bit.
