-
@no-quarter bet she told Winny as part of the coalition negotiations
And lets not forget one of the first things they put through, increase Maternity period for employees
haha, cynical cnuts here!
-
@majorrage said in NZ Politics:
I'm actually genuinely really happy for her. I hope she gets the chance to cherish it and enjoy it.
Do I have reservations ... ?
If I do I hope she proves me wrong.
I'm always happy for people that announce pregnancy. If you're looking for the meaning of life, well having kids is one of the most meaningful things you can do. There's a massive difference between immediate pleasure/happiness and long-term meaning/purpose. Western society is too geared towards valuing immediate pleasure over everything else, which can lead to bitterness and resentfulness later in life as people search for that purpose or meaning. Chelsea Handler is an extreme example of that, she's flapping around looking for purpose as she realises her career doesn't provide that, and she is too old to have children, so she's trying to turn her attention towards political activism and comes across as extremely unhappy and resentful.
Obvious reservations with Winnie being in charge, which will be shared by more than 90% of NZers, but you'd have to be a miserable bastard to not wish them all the best.
-
@no-quarter yep, as above, you can question the timing, but who knows whether they had been trying for months/years and been unsuccessful, I know a couple had been trying for 12 years, gave up, sold everything and went for a campervan trip round the south island, got pregnant!
My wife got pregnant straight away for TR Jnr, but we took 6 months to get pregnant for #2.
-
@taniwharugby said in NZ Politics:
but we took 6 months to get pregnant for #2.
Not that you would have been complaining about the process...
-
Congratulations to Jacinda and her bloke. I don't like her politics at all, but she has ticked off two incredible achievements within a few weeks of each other. She is in for a tremendously challenging time and I hope she copes and thrives. She is facing being a first time mum while travelling and working long and demanding hours and the most public job in the country.
I can certainly foresee an excruciating level amount of media interest in her pregnancy and motherhood as PM - the level of interest will eclipse John Key's private life many times over. Every move she makes as an expectant mother and mother will be scrutinised like Kate Middleton. She is well and truly a celebrity PM now.
-
I have no love for Ardern and her policies, but she has my sympathies for what lies ahead. Difficult enough for women in top leadership positions at the best of times, because there are ALWAYS the fuckwits who want to make it about the marital status or the womb status or how can you possibly be a good mother if you GASP work, as if the dad has no responsibility in parenting at all. And now the media are going to be stalking her for coochy coo baby boo stories rather than govt and policy which will be truly excruciating.
-
I have nothing negative to say about a Prime Minister becoming pregnant. She's in a relationship and at the age where you'd expect her to be considering it. She's also capable (outside of medical issues) of working most of her pregnancy.
I don't see how it's an achievement. There's seven and a half billion people on earth.
-
Well I'm going to go against the grain here and say she knowingly lied to New Zealand and left us in a situation where are left with a functional alcoholic PM who only received 8% of the popular vote.
It's unfair to New Zealand, its unfair to her baby and is unfair to Ardern herself. I'm not saying she can't do it, by any means, but the actual reality of what she is proposing to do may prove far different from the lovely bubblegum fantasyland progressive ideals of many of her supporters.
Happy to be proved wrong though and I really do wish her all the best. I hope we don't have any national emergency in this time and things go as well as the possibly can do.
-
@antipodean I should clarify my description of her "achievement". It is indeed an achievement for a person to become their country's leader. I agree it is not an achievement for a woman to breed, but rather I am referring to the historical significance of her being, I believe, the first woman to give birth to her FIRST child while leading a country. Benazir Bhutto appears to have been the first modern female leader to have a baby in office, but it was her second child (big difference between first and subsequent children).
She will doubtless be celebrated for this worldwide for eternity (unless the patriarchy can erase the history books) for this achievement.
-
I hope everything goes well for them but stuff and the ferald will be unbearable in the coverage of this. It’s the closest thing to a royal birth in nz they’ll ever get. Hopefully Ardern tells them to fuck off early in the piece although she won’t be able to help herself from trotting the kid out in front of the cameras for pr purposes.
-
@jegga said in NZ Politics:
I hope everything goes well for them but stuff and the ferald will be unbearable in the coverage of this. It’s the closest thing to a royal birth in nz they’ll ever get. Hopefully Ardern tells them to fuck off early in the piece although she won’t be able to help herself from trotting the kid out in front of the cameras for pr purposes.
Mallard cradling the Prime Ministerial PÄ“pi in the debating chamber may just send me over the edge.
-
@smudge said in NZ Politics:
@jegga said in NZ Politics:
I hope everything goes well for them but stuff and the ferald will be unbearable in the coverage of this. It’s the closest thing to a royal birth in nz they’ll ever get. Hopefully Ardern tells them to fuck off early in the piece although she won’t be able to help herself from trotting the kid out in front of the cameras for pr purposes.
Mallard cradling the Prime Ministerial PÄ“pi in the debating chamber may just send me over the edge.
Channel your inner Guy Fawkes for the good of the country.
-
@jegga said in NZ Politics:
I hope everything goes well for them but stuff and the ferald will be unbearable in the coverage of this. It’s the closest thing to a royal birth in nz they’ll ever get. Hopefully Ardern tells them to fuck off early in the piece although she won’t be able to help herself from trotting the kid out in front of the cameras for pr purposes.
There’s already half a dozen stories over at the Ferald. I’m waiting for the story where they ask who’s looking better preggo, jacinda or Kate
-
@taniwharugby Yeah. All very well to say that, but you don't know until it happens how it is going to go. Having a first baby in late thirties can bring its own joys medically. I wish her all the best.
-
Congratulations to the couple and good luck to them! It will be a tough job combining motherhood with such a job, but if her partner is going to be a stay-at-home dad (as announced), then situation is not much different from that of male PMs becoming a father during their time in the job. The differences are due to possible physical inconveniences (and complications) due to the pregnancy, giving birth and breastfeeding, but in that she is not different from other women in top jobs and not every pregnant woman suffers from problems like morning sickness etc.
For the record: considering Ardern never said she would or would not get pregnant during her time in office, she can't be accused of lying. Mark Richardson's questions were considered inappropriate because he'd never ask a male party leader the same question. Nevertheless, she answered them:
However, Ardern took the question in her stride, saying she didn't have a problem with being asked about weighing advancing her political career against having children. "I've been really open about that dilemma because I think probably lots of women face it," she said. "For me, my position is no different to the woman who works three jobs, or who might be in a position where they are juggling lots of responsibilities. "You've just got to take every day as it comes and try and see if you can make the best of the lot you're given. "So I'm not pre-determining any of that, just like most of the women out here who just make their lives work."
.
A statement said Winston Peters would be acting prime minister for six weeks following the birth, making Gayford the baby's primary caregiver. But the timing of the arrival meant he would likely miss out on the new increase from 18 weeks to 22 weeks' paid parental leave, which would not come into effect until July 1.
So only six weeks of Winston; I can live with that, provided there are no political crises or emergencies during those 6 weeks.
And with the baby due in June, they probably won't benefit from the new paid parental leave legislation, so any silly comments about conflict of interests etc can go to the bin as well.
NZ Politics