WELLINGTON: Chris Hipkins, set to become New Zealand’s prime minister, built a reputation for competence in tackling COVID-19, although he acknowledges some mistakes in handling the pandemic and faces a tough battle to retain power in an October general election.
Known as “Chippy”, the former COVID-19 minister is a close ally of Jacinda Ardern, who shocked the nation on Thursday by announcing she was resigning.
Hipkins, 44, expected to succeed Ardern as Labour leader on Sunday (Jan 22) after no other candidates emerged, faces a stern test upon taking power, with Labour trailing the opposition in opinion polls and the country expected to fall into recession next quarter before a general election on Oct 14.
Often brought in by Ardern when other Cabinet colleagues were struggling with their portfolios, Hipkins pledged on Saturday to continue her governing style while putting his own stamp on running the country.
“Jacinda provided calm, stable, reassuring leadership, which I hope to continue to do. We are different people though, and I’m sure that people will see that,” Hipkins told a news conference on Saturday after emerging as the only candidate to lead the ruling Labour Party.
First elected to parliament in 2008, Hipkins became a household name fronting the government’s response to the pandemic. He was appointed health minister in July 2020 before becoming the COVID-19 response minister at the end of the year.
Under Ardern’s “go hard, go early” approach to COVID-19, the island nation of 5 million was among the first to close borders.
The policy was hailed around the world for keeping New Zealanders virus-free through the first half of 2021, but the public tired of the zero-tolerance strategy, which included a nationwide lockdown over a single infection.
Criticism over the strict lockdowns grew as officials struggled to control a Delta outbreak from August 2021. Hipkins later said quarantine measures should have been scaled back earlier.
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