Ardern calls for unity after COVID-era divisions, but what of her own government's legacy?
November 2, 2026
Summarised by Centrist
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has urged politicians to rebuild public trust and reduce political polarisation, warning that leaders are making divisions worse rather than addressing the underlying causes.
Speaking at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday alongside author Anna Funder, Ardern called for greater tolerance of opposing views and more attention to people's financial insecurity.
"We have a responsibility not to engage in binary thinking, not to engage in the language of violence," she said, urging leaders to rebuild trust through greater financial security.
Ardern argued that globalisation had created growing insecurity, while political responses such as Brexit encouraged people to blame others for their problems, contributing to the rise of leaders such as Donald Trump.
She warned that political disagreement had increasingly become a question of moral superiority, making constructive debate more difficult.
"It's not just that you hold a different opinion, it's that you hold it so deeply that you have this view you've got moral clarity that is not being held by the other person," she said.
Ardern also reflected on social media, saying her early optimism about direct online engagement changed after the Christchurch mosque attacks exposed how digital platforms could be weaponised.
She concluded that politicians were failing to address the underlying causes of public frustration.
"We have not just a crisis of trust, we have a crisis of leadership."
Editor's note: Does that assessment include her own government?
Ardern's warning about division raises questions about the legacy of her own government's COVID policies.
In 2021, when asked whether vaccine restrictions effectively created two classes of New Zealanders, she replied, "That is what it is."
The Royal Commission's March 2026 report subsequently found that public trust and social cohesion came under increasing pressure during the pandemic, with some vaccination requirements lasting too long or going too far.
The Commission also concluded that New Zealand's overall pandemic response was among the world's strongest, while acknowledging that declining trust could not be attributed solely to government decisions.
Ardern's emphasis on financial security also attracted criticism from National's Nicola Willis, who said the former government had left substantial debt and interest costs.
Treasury figures show net core Crown debt rose from $59.5 billion in 2017 to $155.3 billion in 2023, although the increase also reflected the pandemic and wider economic pressures.
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