JACINDA ARDERN: REHEATED CENTRISM FOR AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE

Although she failed to bring about the fundamental economic and political change that she promised for New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern has been named the leader of a new project designed to 'challenge and change' the status quo.

LABOUR'S VICTORY in 2017 was based largely on Jacinda Ardern's declaration that any government she led would be 'transformative'. But by the time she resigned, little had changed. Instead of shaking things up, Ardern resolutely defended the status quo.

As the years roll by, the historic failure of Jacinda Ardern's leadership will come ever more into focus. She had the opportunity to remove the neoliberal straitjacket that had imprisoned the country for over four decades. Instead, she ensured that the straps remained tight. Jacinda Ardern's failure opened the door to the present government's damaging austerity policies.

Despite her leadership failure, Ardern has been named the new head of a project designed to 'challenge and change' the political status quo. The project is to be run by the Washington-based Centre for American Progress (CAP). It describes itself as 'an independent, non-partisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Our aim is not just to change the conversation, but to change the country.'

Although Jacinda Ardern conspicuously failed to challenge the status quo while Prime Minister of New Zealand, CAP Action says that 'Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is the embodiment of the leadership style the program will instill in those who participate.'

The clue to CAP Action embracing Ardern as one of its own is that its own centrist politics largely mirrors hers. Although it insists it is a non-partisan group, its political leanings lie firmly with the Democratic Party. One of its largest financial contributors is the Democracy PAC, a group that supports centrist Democratic Party candidates.

CAP Action says it stands for 'pragmatic idealism' but, really, it's just more rehashed centrism; the same centrism that has created the political wastelands of today and allowed the far right to make significant gains. In these circumstances, Ardern's claim that she wants 'to help bring more hope and optimism into politics' is nonsensical when she's only going to be offering more of the same dispiriting and unchallenging centrism that we're all too familiar with in New Zealand.