A commentator from New Zealand has issued a harsh criticism of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern while she is in the spotlight promoting her memoir and the related documentary, A Different Kind of Power.

Christchurch-based journalist Chris Lynch, known for his esteemed work, criticized Ms. Ardern’s global media tour. Her tour featured prominent spots, such as an interview with Oprah Winfrey and coverage on the BBC, with Lynch remarking that she seemed to be living in a ‘parallel universe’.

After stepping down in January 2023 following a six-year tenure as prime minister, Ms. Ardern moved to the United States later that year, where she has remained since.

In the subsequent election her New Zealand Labour Party suffered a major defeat, with its share of the vote cut in half and the conservative National party forming a coalition government with the ACT Party and New Zealand First.

During a recent appearance on New Zealand television Ms Ardern admitted that interviews conducted at home made her the most nervous.

‘Every time I do a New Zealand interview, I message Clarke and say I’m feeling a bit squirmy,’ she said, referring to her husband, Clarke Gayford who she married in 2024 following a five year engagement. 

Lynch described her admission as ‘telling’ in an opinion piece on his news site, arguing that Ms Ardern enjoys a far warmer reception abroad than she does at home.

‘Abroad, she is met with applause. At home, she is remembered as the face of division and government overreach,’ he wrote.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Lynch said there was a stark disconnect between Ardern’s international image and her domestic legacy, calling it a ‘parallel universe.’

‘It’s always fascinating to see Jacinda Ardern appear on American television shows, where they seem to fawn over her with almost mythical admiration,’ he said.

‘Perhaps she understands, on some level, that while she presents an image of compassion and unity to the world, many New Zealanders are still living with the consequences of the decisions her government made.’

Lynch said Ms Ardern’s memoir and tour were an attempt to rebrand herself with the assistance of an often fawning media that ‘rarely questions her narrative.’ 

‘Her memoir and media tour are not just about storytelling. They are a calculated attempt to reshape her reputation,’ he said.

‘Ardern wants to be remembered as a unifier. But many recall her leadership as defined by control, exclusion, and distrust.’

He criticised Ms Ardern’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that New Zealand’s harsh lockdown rules were sold under a false message of kindness.

‘”Be Kind” became a national slogan. In practice, it meant “do not question”. Millions of dollars were spent on communication campaigns, compliance measures, and policing so-called disinformation.’ he said. 

Lynch was also critical of those interviewing Ms Ardern for heaping praise on the former PM rather than asking tough questions about her time in office. 

‘Under Ardern’s leadership, the New Zealand Bill of Rights was breached. Police were given authority to enter homes without a warrant,’ he said. 

‘Courts found aspects of her government’s pandemic response unlawful. None of this gets mentioned during her international interviews.’ 

‘The vaccine rollout became a symbol of coercion. Many lined up not out of trust in the science, but out of fear of losing their jobs. When asked in 2021 about creating a two-tier society, Ardern replied, “That is what it is”.’

‘Those words should never be forgotten. Nor should the rules that followed, rules that restricted movement, participation, and access to basic services, all sold under the soft message of kindness.’

The Royal Commission of Inquiry is looking into the nation’s Covid response with a final report due next year, and Ms Ardern’s lockdowns and vaccine mandates are still fresh in the minds of many New Zealanders.

Ms Ardern’s wedding in Hawke’s Bay last year picketed by anti-vaccine protesters holding ‘death signs’. Another solo demonstrator was seen outside the property with a placard reading ‘lest we forget jab mandates’.

Lynch said Ms Ardern was squarely to blame for dividing the nation. 

‘But if Jacinda Ardern writes another memoir, a more appropriate title might be The Authoritarian: How I Left New Zealand Divided and in a Mess,’ he said.

‘Her defenders often cry misogyny when she is criticised. 

‘Yes, women in politics face abuse. That does not mean all criticism is sexist. Where were those defenders when women on the political right were vilified? Nowhere. Because the issue was never gender. It was ideology.

‘For all the praise overseas, she knows her standing here is unresolved.’

As for why Labour fell out of favour with New Zealand voters just two years after a landslide win, University of Auckland Politics and International Relations expert Grant Duncan offered his reasoning. 

He pointed to prolonged lockdowns in Auckland in 2021, strict border closures, managed isolation facilities, and vaccine mandates as key factors. 

‘The Ardern government’s initial success in dealing with Covid-19 turned into a headwind as a prolonged lockdown in Auckland in 2021, border closures, MIQ facilities and vaccine mandates became increasingly irritating, if not infuriating, for many people – and not just for the extreme anti-vaxxers,’ he said.

Economic pressures also played a role.

‘Inflation was a predictable result of pandemic fiscal stimulus, exacerbated by supply-chain disruptions and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,’ Mr Duncan added.

The next New Zealand election must be held no later than December of 2026, with early opinion polls showing the National-led coalition government narrowly ahead.   

Ms Ardern’s memoir A Different Kind of Power was released on June 3.