Jack Tame: Boris Johnson, Shinzo Abe, Ardern in Australia, it's been a big week in politics

Boris Johnson reads a statement outside 10 Downing Street, London. Photo / AP

OPINION:

Three leaders. Three countries. One week.

Boris Johnson's resignation felt like a rare little win for the convention.

There can be no doubt Donald Trump's leadership style inspired him, and the way Trump just thumbed his nose at all of the previous standards of behaviour for world leaders.

Scandal after scandal, Boris Johnson managed to duck and dodge and deflect and survive what would have been politically fatal for most other leaders in the pre-Trump era. The temerity of having had your staff caught out partying, defying lockdown rules, and drinking together at Downing Street at the same time as the Queen was forced to sit alone at her husband's funeral! In one sense it is astonishing Boris Johnson survived as long as he did.

But in another, I'm still surprised he announced his resignation.

Entertaining he may be, but the man clearly isn't burdened by any great sense of integrity. I'll only fully believe he's gone when he's gone.

But it's interesting to compare Johnson with Trump.

In the end, it wasn't the public that forced Johnson's resignation. It was his own party.

His political colleagues stood up and decided he'd gone too far. It's interesting to compare that with the Republicans in the United States, many of whom continue to undermine their democracy and deny the election result to stay onside with Trump.

In a way, Johnson's resignation shows us just how messed up America really is.

I think it's pretty evident Jacinda Ardern is much more popular overseas than she is in New Zealand.

Overseas, they focus on what her leadership represents rather than the detail of what she has (or hasn't) achieved.

They see a charismatic, empathetic young woman.

Kindness.

Stephen Colbert isn't digging too deep into KiwiBuild, child poverty stats, healthcare workforce shortages, and gang shootings etc.

That being said, I think even Ardern's harshest critics have to give her credit her for this overseas trip.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Photo / Getty Images

The pathway to citizenship changes announced for Kiwis in Australia, and Anthony Albanese's new 'common sense' approach to deportations should have a really significant impact on the future of 501s.

Keep in mind, there's very little domestic political upside for Albanese to stop the deportations – his political opponents would immediately accuse him of being soft. He couldn't announce he was flat-out scrapping the policy.

But from our perspective, he's done the next best thing. They're changes that were never going to happen under Scott Morrison and all come down to the relationship between the two current Prime Ministers.

With the change in government across the Tasman, Ardern has managed to soften the impact of the 501s policy about as much as is politically possible in Australia. Well done.

Finally, Shinzo Abe. What to say?

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo / Getty Images

I lay in bed last night tossing and turning and thinking about it. I was a bit stunned. It's just awful, truly shocking.

We're fortunate to live in an age where political assassinations are relatively rare – especially in big, developed economies.

Abe was a mighty figure in Japanese politics but also in global leadership.

These moments are always deeply unsettling.

We don't know a whole lot about the assassin's motivations, but I hope for Japan's sake, the country is able to find stability and strength in a unified response to what is a terrible event.