Dame Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson to reunite on stage at Dunedin festival

Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern (left) and former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson are set to publicly reunite at a speaking engagement in Dunedin. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern will reunite publicly with her former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson for a rare on-stage conversation in Dunedin next month.

The pair will appear at the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival on April 16 at the Regent Theatre, marking Ardern’s first public engagement in New Zealand since leaving office in 2023.

The event is part of Ardern’s book tour for A Different Kind of Power.

The event, part of Ardern’s book tour for A Different Kind of Power, will explore her time in office, her reflections since leaving public life, and her ongoing international work.

“In conversation with the incomparable Stacey Morrison (Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu) two of New Zealand’s most consequential political figures and genuine old friends will be sharing a stage for the first time in Ōtepoti Dunedin since leaving office,” the festival wrote.

“Expect laughter, candour, and the kind of conversation that can only happen between two people who have been through it all together.”

Festival organisers highlighted Dunedin’s long literary heritage and its status as a Unesco City of Literature.

Ardern will also appear at literary events in Wellington on April 15 and Auckland on May 17.

Since leaving office, Ardern and her family have been based in Sydney, where she has been involved in international advocacy work.

She joined Law Zero’s Global Advisory Council, focusing on human-centric artificial intelligence (AI).

Former Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson is the current University of Otago Vice Chancellor. Photo / Ben Tomsett

Ardern has also continued her work on public health initiatives, including administering the Matariki Fund, aimed at eliminating cervical cancer in the Pacific.

Her return to New Zealand coincides with the release of the Royal Commission’s final report on the Government’s handling of the 2021 Covid-19 pandemic.

Grant Robertson hugging Dame Jacinda Ardern after her valedictory speech as Prime Minister in 2023 at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The report found some restrictions, particularly Auckland lockdowns, were maintained longer than necessary, while acknowledging that officials made “strenuous efforts to make the right decisions.”

Ardern and Robertson accepted the findings, noting there were areas that “could have been better”, while highlighting what was done correctly.