‘I don’t have enough in the tank,’ complained 42-year-old Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand. ‘For me, it’s time,’ she added, during her surprise resignation speech this morning.

Previously the youngest Prime Minister, it appears she has run out of energy right when public opinion is turning on her beloved Labour Party.

While there have been whispers about the future of her regime for months, no one expected to wake up to news of her stepping away from power so close to an election on October 14.

Her time as Prime Minister is set to end no later than February 7 after six years in power.

She served as President of the International Union of Socialist Youth in 2008 immediately before entering politics as an MP.

Controversial Labour policies, such as Three Waters (which assigns water ownership via race), ruthless Covid health orders, and the renaming of nearly everything with a heavily edited version of Māori, has isolated large portions of the voting base. They are growing tired of the relentless prism of social justice that poisons everything, including history.

‘I just don’t have enough in the tank for another four years. I’m not leaving because I believe we cannot win the next election, but because I believe we can and will.’

It’s unclear how soppy departure stories will go down during a cost-of-living crisis when politicians, like Ardern, have been sheltered from the economic hardship that has ruined many lives. Labour is aware that a failing economy is bad for the polls, with Ardern previously overseeing a pay-cut in solidarity. While better than Australia’s pay rises for politicians, it comes as small comfort to voters ruined by Ardern’s lockdowns and Covid-Zero hysteria.

‘This will give me a bit of time in the electorate before I depart, and also spare them and the country a by-election,’ Ardern added, as if the top job was some kind of club membership rather than the most serious and professional role in the land.

‘Beyond that, I have no plan. No next steps. All I know is that whatever I do, I will try and find ways to keep working for New Zealand and that I am looking forward to spending time with my family again, arguably, they are the ones that have sacrificed the most out of all of us.’

The world will watch with interest to see if she picks up a lucrative international role, as is the case with many of her peers in politics.

Despite her confidence that Labour will win the next election, polls have Labour sliding behind the Opposition as public patience runs out for the socialist-style politics that has seen New Zealand take on a concerning authoritarian streak.

It was Ardern who famously declared, ‘Unless you hear it from us, it is not the truth!’ In a speech that began, ‘We will continue to be your single source of truth.’

In another video, Ardern smiled and agreed that her Covid policies had created a two-tiered society in New Zealand. ‘That is what it is.’

So much for the narrative of compassion.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who today faces accusations from 2GB that his office edited a radio interview in an Orwellian bid to re-write the facts – wished his mate across the pond well.

‘Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities,’ said Albanese.

That empathy resulted in her bringing in enormous security forces to drag protesters away when they complained about New Zealand’s extensive lockdowns and severe vaccine mandates that forced families to choose between feeding their kids and taking Covid vaccines that are now known to cause harm.

It is unlikely Ardern will face criticism from her friends across the pond for installing extraordinarily racist policies, essentially dividing New Zealand, and regressing the nation back to a narrative of victimhood and oppression.

‘Kind but strong, empathetic and focused … you can be your own kind of leader,’ tweeted Teal Zoe Daniel.

‘She showed us true leadership, always steering the ship with compassion and strength. A trailblazer for women in power,’ tweeted Ged Kearney.

Dr Michael O’Keefe from La Trobe University wrote, ‘She worked tirelessly to repair and strengthen relations with Pacific Island countries and peoples. Of particular note was her reset of NZ foreign policy to respect the wishes of Pacific leaders and strengthen Pacific regionalism. A symbol of her commitment was her apology for the racist raids on Pacific islanders in the 1970s. She also worked closely with Australia to counter China’s rising influence in the region.’

It’s unclear which version of reality this references, given that New Zealand’s cosying up to China was of such concern that Ardern’s leadership saw New Zealand nearly kicked out of Five Eyes over fears sensitive military information would end up in the hands of the Chinese regime. A Canadian report referred to New Zealand as ‘the soft underbelly’ of Five Eyes. It was also alleged that China engaged in ‘widespread Chinese political interference in New Zealand’s 2017 election’.

‘New Zealand says it is “uncomfortable” using the 70-year-old “Five Eyes” intelligence grouping, which includes the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada, to criticise China. Some critics accuse the government in Wellington of selling out to Beijing…’ – VOA

Ardern’s regime gave China a wide berth when it came to international criticism of human rights and expansion into the Pacific region for fear that speaking out could damage their economy. It was only after China took off the kid gloves and started throwing accusations at New Zealand that Ardern adopted a ‘hard line’.

Another political leader who kissed the hand of Beijing with interest in the Belt and Road initiative, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, wrote: ‘Through a pandemic, a terrorist attack and an eruption, Jacinda led with a kindness which came to defend her Prime Ministership.’

‘I had hoped that I would find what I needed to carry on over that period but, unfortunately, I haven’t, and I would be doing a disservice to New Zealand to continue,’ said Ardern.

‘It’s one thing to lead your country through peace-time, it’s another to lead them through crisis. These events … have been taxing because of the weight, the sheer weight, and continual nature of them. There’s never really been a moment where it’s ever felt like we were just governing.’

Ardern’s mistake is clear. She thought government was an exercise in casual seat warming and ribbon cutting.

The real leaders – the leaders that history remembers – are those that continue through extraordinary hardship without subjecting the public to a ‘poor me’ resignation when times get tough and public anger turns on them. If Ardern were to stay, it is likely her unblemished record of success would meet a nasty end on the other side of a ballot. Socialists never fail, they simply vanish and leave it to others to clean up the mess.