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Australian commentator explains why he went after Ardern

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 16 Oct 2020, 9:52AM
Jacinda Ardern. (Photo / NZ Herald)
Jacinda Ardern. (Photo / NZ Herald)

Australian commentator explains why he went after Ardern

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 16 Oct 2020, 9:52AM

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has come under fire from an Australian columnist just days out from the election. 

The Australian's foreign editor Greg Sheridan says he's not being harsh on the Labour leader personally.

But he says her policy achievements for New Zealand are more or less zero.

He told Heather du Plessis-Allan her one big policy win is suppressing Covid-19.

"Before Covid came along, Jacinda Ardern was behind in the polls, and she hadn't delivered on her election, and her centre-left outlook was not helpful to the New Zealand economy."

Sheridan says that the Covid recovery is not that impressive, as many other Pacific Island nations have achieved low Covid-19 cases. 

He also believes that her international appeal is purely symbolic. 

"Time Magazine and Vogue and so on, their not saying 'look what a wonderful job she's done with the economy', otherwise they'd have made John Key a celebrity." 

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