Jacinda Ardern is back in the news after transcripts of her behind-closed-doors testimony to the Royal Commission were published by the New Zealand Herald today.

While the contents of the testimony contain few surprises, the transcript is notable as much for what it omits as for what it includes.

There are no expressions of regret, no apologies, and no acknowledgment of wrongdoing - an outcome that may not shock those who followed the Government’s approach during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The exchanges themselves are largely evasive, particularly on the issue of vaccine mandates. At one point, the Commission chair told Ardern it would be remiss not to ask whether she had divided the nation. Ardern responded by asking, “In what regard?” - a reply that struck many as disingenuous, given the scale of public opposition at the time, including prolonged protests directly outside her Beehive office.

The testimony also reflects the familiar style critics associate with her leadership: lengthy explanations and abstract language. When asked whether she had regrets, Ardern responded that “regret is a curious word,” avoiding a direct answer.

The timing of the transcript’s release is striking. Just days earlier, a documentary about Ardern debuted on Netflix and has since attracted renewed public attention, earning an Emmy nomination and sparking fresh debate about her legacy. Conversations about the film are occurring across the country, with many viewers reporting mixed emotions after watching it.

Some New Zealanders have expressed discomfort about the animosity directed toward Ardern after her resignation and her subsequent move overseas, saying the country should aspire to be more tolerant.

Others argue that accountability remains a fundamental principle of public office. They note that Ardern stepped down before facing voters in the next election, declined to give public evidence to the Royal Commission, and has largely avoided direct public scrutiny since leaving office.

The one form of accountability she has not escaped, critics say, has come in personal encounters with members of the public, where she has faced blunt and often hostile feedback - a factor some believe contributed to her decision to leave the country.

Whether public sentiment toward Ardern would have softened had she chosen to testify openly before the Commission is impossible to know.

What is clear, however, is that her private testimony has done little to change hardened views. For many observers, it reads as more of the same careful language and deflection that characterised her responses throughout the pandemic.

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