Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says that six months after giving birth, she's looking forward to spending more time with her daughter Neve over the Christmas break and thanking everybody who's helped her juggle responsibilities.
Ardern spoke to The Associated Press on Monday as she carried around a box to hand-deliver holiday treats of coffee and peanut brittle to reporters at Parliament. She was keeping alive a tradition in New Zealand that would be hard to imagine in some countries due to the sometimes acrimonious relationships between journalists and politicians.
Ardern is just the second world leader in modern times to give birth while in office. She said she's had lots of feedback about being a role model.
"But my focus needs to be on furthering the agenda, and the work program, and all of the big challenges we were elected to address," she said. "For me, the added bonus is that I get to be a mum as well."