The Power Of Love

After a big year, Jacinda Ardern is looking forward to Christmas surrounded by those she loves. She talks to Emma Clifton about life with toddler Neve, the outpouring of kindness that followed the mosque attacks, and the family support she treasures.

- Emma Clifton

Jacinda Ardern is not one for introspection – not because she doesn’t see the value of it, but because at this stage of her life, there just isn’t time.

Our Prime Minister has inadvertently become quite an expert in one-upping her previous year. And of course, 2019 has been no different. “It’s been a big one,” Jacinda admits. “But it’s been rewarding. That’s how I think I’ll feel at the end of the year.”

For her Australian Women’s Weekly cover shoot, we have a brief but action-packed window with the Prime Minister to talk about the past 12 months and, of course, all things festive.

This Christmas, Jacinda, her fiancé Clarke Gayford and their toddler Neve will be in Gisborne for the holidays, surrounded by loved ones. “The lovely thing about Christmas this year is that my family are going to come over and be there with Clarke’s family, so my mum and dad and my sister and her husband and all my nieces and nephews will be there, which is really lovely. We’ll all be there together, so we won’t have to do a split Christmas.”

Neve, at 18 months this December, is turning into exactly the kind of child you would imagine a charismatic world leader and a popular television presenter would have: full of personality.

“With a father like Clarke, that was always going to be inevitable,” Jacinda says, smiling. “It’s one of the things I’ve found most rewarding about this year is that she’s just developed… she’s her own little person. And that’s really lovely; you see snippets of who she’s going to be, and she’s curious and she’s funny. And she doesn’t need me,” she jokes. “Except for sustenance and nappy changes – and even then, she could take it or leave it.”