Jo Moir
Wellington, December 8, 2022
The Prime Minister has said that the abusive behaviour of the public has become worse during her time as the leader but was not willing to concede that it is permanent.
Jacinda Ardern said that currently there is a ‘rawness’ to the public sentiment which did not exist before the pandemic and that it has led to an increase in abuse towards politicians and people in high-profile jobs.
She told Newsroom that the level of abuse towards her both online and in real life has increasingly got worse.
“But I am not yet willing to say that it is a permanent thing, because what I have observed is not only something that is happening here in New Zealand. There is rawness at the moment to people’s sentiments. I think that just under the surface is a lot of anxiety among people, It has been a difficult period of time, and I think that people just have less of a filter; people let you know, but I do not think that New Zealand is the only place experiencing that,” she said.
Collective global experience
When speaking to international counterparts, Ardern said that other world leaders comment on the same increase in abusive comments and threats both online and in person.
“I think that it is probably a bit about the collective global experience that we have had over the last couple of years. Therefore, I am not willing to say that the political environment has forever changed. It has just changed for now,” she said.
While some people are more forward in their opinions on Ardern and other politicians, she says that is not emblematic of everyone.
“We tend as humans to fixate on the negative; that is what we do; that does not mean it demonstrates where everyone is. We are all just humans trying to do our best, and I think it is easy to forget that about politicians and about people who have high-profile jobs, like journalists,” she said.
Unity during the Covid-19 outbreak
Ardern said that during the initial Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown, the country united, which would be worth remembering.
“I think that is one thing Covid did, for a time there everyone was exposed as not having more or less information than anyone else. We were all in the same boat and all could see we were just humans trying to do our best, and we just need to remind ourselves of that sometimes. In times of crisis that happens, but it can also have the opposite effect.
“It had a really negative impact in other ways though because it frayed people, understandably, and now we have got to find that equilibrium again,” Arden said.
Social Cohesion monitor
A Herald-commissioned poll in late November explored the country’s social cohesion.
It resulted in 64% of people believing that New Zealand as a society had become more divided in the past few years, 16% felt that the nation had become more united, and 20% thought it remained the same.
Those polled were asked if they thought New Zealand’s Covid-19 response had brought the country closer together or pushed it further apart. 51% said it had divided people, while 37% said it was unifying.
Rising threats
Concerns around increased abuse and attacks meant that MPs are rethinking how they might campaign at next year’s election as threats against some politicians continue to rise.
Green Party Co-Leader James Shaw proposed a cross-party group meeting in 2023 to discuss the issue – he has received a commitment from all parties that they will take part, but both National and ACT maintain they have no plans to change how they campaign.
Labour, meanwhile, is understood to be reconsidering public walkabouts and shopping mall visits, where it is difficult for security to manage crowds.
The anxiety and division brought about by the pandemic have even caused nicknames to take on new meanings over time.
For Ardern, people calling her ‘Aunty Cindy’ does not bother her when it is being said with affection, but those who are not fans use ‘Cindy’ now, in a negative way.
“It is so contextual; it depends on the situation. No matter what the nickname, you can tell if someone is intent is to do it affectionately or in a disparaging way,” Ardern said.
The government’s overall response and handling of Covid-19 is now a part of a Royal Commission of Inquiry, announced by Ardern on Monday (December 5, 2022).
It will examine the lessons learned and aims to help New Zealand better prepare for future pandemics. A final report is due in mid-2024.
Ardern has not taken time to reflect on that period in her leadership yet.
Jo Moir is Political Editor at Newsroom based in Wellington. The above Report and pictures have been published under a special agreement.
