Since her shock resignation announcement, Jacinda Ardern has been at pains to point out that she isn’t leaving because of the toxicity directed at her on social media and elsewhere, rebutting journalists who suggested misogyny and hate may have driven her from office.

Yet there have been dozens of columns and articles, both domestically and internationally, blaming toxic public criticism for Ardern choosing to step down.

Rising toxicity and polarisation

Although some of the claims about Ardern being hounded from office by “deplorables” are questionable, they reflect the reality of rising toxicity and ugliness in New Zealand politics in recent years. And in terms of the hate that has been directed at Ardern, a substantial proportion of this is clearly gendered.

We do need to take a “moment for some national self-reflection” as some have argued, and we certainly need solutions for how to deal with rising polarisation and toxicity in New Zealand.

Ardern was the target of an extraordinary amount of abuse, but the toxicity extends further than the outgoing prime minister. Over the last decade or so, any public figure or politician – regardless of their politics, gender, and ethnicity – has become increasingly targeted for abuse, especially online. It began well before Ardern’s prime ministership.

Any sober observance of John Key’s time as prime minister shows the incredible hatred and abuse directed his way in the eight years he was at the top. This included his family, and Max Key claimed in 2016 that he received “death threats twice a week”.

Some of the aggression towards Key wasn’t even widely condemned. When gallows and death threats were cartoonishly made in leftwing protests, they were generally contextualised as expressions of anger and contempt for some of his policies as Prime Minister.

But a line was crossed in Key’s time – encapsulated by leftwing rapper Tom Scott’s “Kill the PM”, which spoke of assassinating Key and raping his daughter. At the time, the song and its artist had plenty of defenders on the left.

Since then, New Zealand society has become much more polarised. A survey published by the Herald in December showed 64 per cent of New Zealanders believe the country has become more divided in the last few years.

The impact of Covid and the Government’s response obviously played a key part in this division. Growing inequality and social dislocation have caused considerable damage, leading to bitterness and anger – some of which has been politicised and directed at politicians.

The role of gender in the rise and fall of Jacinda Ardern

Was the decline in Ardern’s popularity due to her gender? There is something of a strange reading of politics to suggest that Labour and Ardern’s poor polling in the last year was due to the Prime Minister being a woman. As journalist Graham Adams wrote this week, such narratives ignore how popular Ardern was: “Against reason, we are effectively asked to believe that a nation that gave Ardern an unprecedented majority in 2020 — alongside personal popularity ratings in the 70s that outshone anything John Key achieved — has become a deeply misogynistic nation in just two years.”

Yes, there were and are huge numbers of vile, sexist putdowns directed at Ardern. But the story of her rise to great heights has shown that her gender or becoming a mother while in office haven’t held her back in the slightest. If anything, New Zealanders strongly celebrated the progressiveness of having a prime minister become a mother while in office.

And the fact that the New Zealand Parliament now has a majority of women says something very striking about how gender is not the barrier for electability that it once was in this country. It could be argued Ardern’s gender and motherhood have been an electoral asset rather than a liability.

The personalisation of politics has accentuated toxicity

Political parties now market and emphasise the personalities of their leaders more than ever before. In New Zealand the “presidentialisation of politics” has reached a whole new level under the leadership of Jacinda Ardern. Since 2017 she became Labour’s biggest electorate asset, and so the party leveraged Jacindamania to win government in 2017 and 2020 – during which time she took the party from 24 per cent in the polls to the historic win of 50 per cent.

The leveraging of Ardern’s personality and star power epitomised the trend in politics for election manifestos, policy, and ideology to be de-emphasised. In fact, politics has become “hollowed out”, and substance and depth are now missing in democracy.

Few people join political parties, and the historic ties between parties and traditional constituencies have been eroded. Without the social anchors of strong ideologies and ties to social class and other demographics, elections are more about personality and the attributes of leadership than ever before.

Ardern was perfect for these times. Labour was able to focus their whole campaigns around her personality, with winning results.

Likewise, the Ardern-led Labour government since 2017 has been all about Ardern. She has towered well above any minister in projecting what the administration is about. This was particularly evident during the Covid crisis, when she was the almost-total voice and personification of the Government’s response.

The unfortunate flipside of having one personality embody and represent a party and government so entirely is that when the popularity of that institution plummets, it’s the personality at the top who becomes the magnet for all the discontent. Unfortunately for Ardern, by having her personify the Labour Government so totally, this has meant that she has been the recipient of, first the adulation, and now the blame.

Labour’s spindoctors might well have been smart to push Ardern to do the cover shoots, and develop a big media presence around her personality and charisma, but ultimately it became a double-edged sword.

The lesson is that the hyper-personalisation of politics is deeply harmful and unhealthy for all involved. The antidote is to shift away from personality politics. New Zealand political parties must rediscover their soul and substance, and not be based so much around leaders. They need to recruit members again, encourage their participation, and focus on policy development. Politics should not be an elite activity.

The media, too, could learn to focus less on personalities. The total concentration on Ardern’s star power was such easy journalism. But it came at the expense of a policy debate. A look back at the 2020 general election campaign shows how little policy and ideas were actually debated and examined. It was a policy void that few commentators were willing to challenge. The prime example has been the momentous Three Waters fiasco, which Labour didn’t even feel the need to foreshadow and persuade the electorate about – ultimately leading to a major backlash.

Hopefully, in 2023, the election campaign is less about Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon, and more about the significant problems in New Zealand that need fixing. Although ideology and visions are now deeply unpopular, we actually need more of a big-picture focus than on the personal ethics, competencies, and personalities of leaders. And it would help if the political parties are actually able to present properly differentiated policy options for voters – something that has been in short supply in recent years, which has merely fuelled the focus on individual politicians instead.

Weaponisation of claims about political abuse

We need a debate about polarisation and toxicity in New Zealand politics. An increase in toxicity, and especially the gendered and racial nature of it, is likely to increase. We need to find a better way forward.

But this is very different to presenting Jacinda Ardern as a victim. As some commentators have pointed out, this desire to turn her into a victim of abuse is somewhat paternalistic and patronising. Former prime minister Jenny Shipley has warned, for example, that “If we overemphasize the abuse question, it implies women can’t do this job and that’s not true.”

Even worse, is if partisans and liberal-leftists attempt to use Ardern’s departure to provoke a culture war. By painting a picture of “the deplorables hounding the Prime Minister from office”, such voices are just increasing the toxic polarisation in a way that prevents a sober discussion of the problems.

An unsophisticated condemnation of political opponents just drives up tensions and looks like petty opportunism rather than a genuine concern to help find a solution for a real problem. Instead of reducing the hate and rancour, such “call out culture” methods tend to be counterproductive and are a dead-end.

Instead, what is urgently needed is a better understanding of what is driving social divisions, and an acknowledgement that the increased abuse of politicians comes largely from our unhealthy personalisation of politics.

This focus on individual politicians and New Zealand’s shift away from collective ways of doing politics is fuelling a hyper-individualisation by which political careers live and die, leaving us all the poorer.

Other items of interest and importance today

PARLIAMENT AND ELECTION
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Jacinda Ardern’s exit has allowed Labour to seize the election-year initiative (paywalled)
Thomas Manch and Anna Whyte (Stuff): Chris Hipkins' big stocktake: Here's what his Government could 'reprioritise'
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Labour’s electoral mountain remains as high as ever
Grant Duncan (The Conversation): This election year, NZ voters should beware of reading too much into the political polls
Tova O'Brien (Today FM): Google data reveals how our politicians have left us dazed and confused
Deborah LaHatte (Whakaata Māori): Prime Minister switch may see voter allegiances shift
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Cabinet reshuffle: Health Minister Andrew Little 'very happy' in role
Joseph Los'e (Herald): Te Pāti Māori eyes Te Tai Hauāuru for election 2023 after speaker Rurawhe opts for Labour list
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Speaker Adrian Rurawhe will not contest seat, going list only
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Rurawhe will not contest Te Tai Hauāuru, moves to Labour list
Erin Gourley (Stuff): Green MP Julie Anne Genter will contest Wellington's Rongotai electorate
Tova O'Brien (Today FM): Right now the only thing Chris Hipkins can’t afford to do is nothing
Jayden Holmes (Today FM): National and Labour economic policies 'remarkably similar' says Economic Professor
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Luxon is channeling Don Brash’s race baiting against Māori – why that should disgust us
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): How a Labour + Green + Māori Party (and maybe TOP) is the Left’s only hope in 2023
RNZ: Grant Robertson explains why he didn't run to be prime minister
Herald: Barry Soper on the legacy of Jacinda Ardern’s political career
Stuff: Jacinda Ardern out and about on her first day after resignation
Amy Wiggins (Herald): Jacinda Ardern goes for walk at Lyall Bay with partner Clarke Gayford after resigning as Prime Minister
David Farrar: How often do Maori swap rolls?

RESIGNATION OF JACINDA ARDERN; ABUSE
David Fisher (Herald): Don’t believe it matters if Jacinda Ardern was abused? Well, you need to read this (paywalled)
Chris Trotter: Jung At Heart
Rachel Smalley (NBR): Maybe ‘be kind’ isn’t such a terrible thing after all (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Man gets 14 months in prison for threatening Ardern
Chris Keall (Herald): Jacinda Ardern resignation: International tech industry role? (paywalled)

ECONOMY, HIPKINS' MEETS BUSINESS LEADERS
Chris Keall (Herald): Amazon wanted to discuss ‘opportunities for fine-tuning NZ’s policy settings’ (paywalled)
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Chris Hipkins chose Labour’s worst enemies for his first public appearance as PM. Why?
RNZ: PM Chris Hipkins: 'I'm not going to write the Budget or a tax policy on day two of the job'
RNZ: Immigration not a solution to fill skills gaps - economist
Isobel Ewing (Newshub): Chris Hipkins says he won't rule out changes to immigration settings to ease New Zealand's labour shortage problems
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Chris Hipkins urged to dump 'controversial' projects during meeting with Auckland CEOs
1News: Hipkins promises to get 'closer to business' in first outing as PM
Riley Kennedy (BusinessDesk): Hipkins uses first outing as PM to repair business relationship (paywalled)
Herald: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins meets Auckland business leaders as Government charm offensive begins
Stephen Minto (Daily Blog): This is why Nicola Willis would be a terrible Minister of Finance for the New Zealand economy
Brent Edwards (NBR): Treasury worried KiwiRail will call upon Government contingency (paywalled)

COST OF LIVING, EMPLOYMENT, INEQUALITY
Tim Hazledine (Herald): How about a grand in the hand each month? (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Lowest paid workers feeling 'acute' pressure, says Hipkins, as minimum wage decision nears
RNZ: Minimum wage too high to increase further without fuelling inflation - National's Nicola Willis
Waatea News: Ardern set basis for child poverty progress
Tina Morrison (Stuff): Warehouse Group plans to cut 190 jobs at Auckland support office
RNZ: The Warehouse Group proposes Auckland support staff restructure with 190 jobs on the line

HOUSING
RNZ: Rent increased across the whole country in 2022 - except in Wellington
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Auckland rent increase last year was the highest in five years
Ben Leahy (Herald): Businessman behind controversial housing development was banned from being director (paywalled)
Caroline Williams (Stuff): Never mind 'bedroom commuters', Auckland's Beach Haven is perfect for apartments
Kim Moodie (RNZ): Most property investors opting for one-year fixed mortgages, survey finds

HEALTH
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Fight looming over proposed cuts to Dunedin hospital rebuild
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Elective surgery waiting lists continuing to grow, latest figures show
Grant Miller (ODT): New hospital: DCC's $130k plan to fight design cuts
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Call for long Covid to be recognised as a disability, support ‘insufficient, patchy’
1News: New study reveals Long Covid symptoms are 'misunderstood'
Eva Wilson (Whakaata Māori): Covid-19 and Long Covid’s heavy impact on Māori, Pasifika and disabled
Ian Powell (BusinessDesk): Smoke signals: the capers of the pro-vapers (paywalled)
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Child vaccination programme in crisis as providers in ‘catch-up’ phase, expert says
Kristie Boland (Stuff): UK nurse with 40 years' experience close to giving up on working in NZ

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Jonah Franke-Bowell (Stuff): The little known by-elections ocurring nationwide
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Risk to West Coast council flagged as trouble brews
Spinoff: Swarbrick wants aligned approach on Auckland issues from mayor, new PM
Grant Miller (ODT): Council to ponder railway’s future (paywalled)
Maia Hart (Local Democracy Reporting): Could keeping cats at home become New Zealand's norm?
Tina Law (Press): Lack of money could see end to security guards making central Christchurch safer
Alisa Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Road cones and rates among reasons Tauranga residents unhappy with city council

MEDIA
Cushla Norman (1News): Media merger bill tweaked, but falls short - expert
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Select committee seeks more independence for proposed new public media entity
Richard Harman (Politik): Committee slashes broadcasting bill but it may be too late (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): MediaWorks paying price for chief exec's interest in politics, says staffer
Tina Morrison (Stuff): NBR owner Todd Scott agrees to sell stake in the business

EDUCATION, CHILD WELFARE
Jonah Franke-Bowell (Stuff): School cost crunch as families, charities try to provide
Moana Eruera (Herald): We must stop the number of our tamariki going into the system

ENVIRONMENT
Eric Roston and Tracy Withers (Bloomberg): Jacinda Ardern leaves a mixed record on tackling climate change
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Say no to planned Otago airport, academics urge
RNZ: Tarras airport proposal faces more opposition as leading academics pen open letter
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Our ‘ecological moonshot’ needs an innovation kick (paywalled)
Michael Fallow (Stuff): SDC halts prosecutions after Environment Court rebuff

TRANSPORT
Herald: Dismay at Auckland Transport’s recommendation that punters should drive cars or walk to Elton John concerts
1News: Backlash after AT encourages fans to drive to Elton John concerts
Emma Clark-Dow (Stuff): Auckland Transport confident in service as Elton John fans fear post-concert 'chaos'

TITEWHAI HARAWIRA
Aroha Mane, Tamati Tiananga and Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Thousands pay respects to trailblazing activist Titewhai Harawira
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): New PM Chris Hipkins pays respects to Titewhai Harawira as tangi begins
Joseph Los'e (Herald): Prime Minister Chris Hipkins delivers special message from Jacinda Ardern at Titewhai Harawira’s tangi

FORESTRY SLASH
Andrea Fox and Rachel Maher (Herald): Forestry slash: Boy’s death after being struck by log at beach a ‘wake-up’ call
Finlay Dunseath, Gianina Schwanecke and Piers Fuller (Stuff): Gisborne council tight-lipped after meeting over safety at slash-covered beach after death of child

OTHER
Josie Pagani (Stuff): Why does the internet think the left is so dull?
Chris Trotter: Ominous Similarities
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): NZ rejected Ukrainian request for military vehicles
James Halpin (Stuff): Police double extremism intelligence unit as election and census challenges near
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Government ponders intervention into flood insurance market (paywalled)
William Hewett (Newshub): ACT lashes out at Government over youth crime, says victims 'deserve better'
Blair Ensor and Melanie Earley (Stuff): The faces of our summer drowning toll: The people we've lost to the water
Herald: ‘I’ll bring the tomato sauce’: New Zealand and British PMs bond over sausage rolls
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Ngāpuhi settlement fund to accelerate investments (paywalled)
Jacob Johnson (1News): Antisemitism in NZ 'on the increase' - Holocaust survivor
Caleb Fotheringham (RNZ): Air New Zealand gets its tax back from the Cook Islands

The Democracy Project

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