Anyone with any doubts about her substance or her ability to handle the pressure should find and watch the full video of her first news conference. Prepared to be underwhelmed, I was instead impressed by her assurance, her control, and her wit; this is a woman with serious potential.
Especially as that was a mere handful of hours after Little dropped his bombshell resignation and nominated Ardern to succeed him. In the midst of an election campaign, no less.
Yes, National will be worried, and they should be. Ardern is indeed a fresh approach, even if she's shelving that slogan, and already people are flocking to support the change by backing Labour's campaign with their cash.
She's unencumbered by skeletons, whereas English is inexplicably caught up in and caught out by the Todd Barclay illicit-recordings scandal - a matter a competent PM should have dealt with quickly and firmly when it first arose - and still coloured by his dubious use of an MP's out-of-area housing allowance in 2008-09 that saw him pay back some $32,000 he should - as Minister of Finance - have known much better than to take.
As for Little, it was not the dreadful polling data in itself that sank him; he was far more a victim of image. Without his glasses he often looked like a dog confused as to whether he's done something wrong and is about to get told off - which the polls promptly reflected.
The irony is, as Herald columnist Audrey Young put it: "If the voters had seen more of his decisiveness, humour and decency he would not be the fifth Labour leader to hit the dust in four elections".
Which begs the question, why did we not? Because modern mass media delights in savaging anyone with power who appears vulnerable; it's crocodile tears to belatedly praise the man for his honesty and integrity when you've helped shoot him down.
The test now is whether Jacinda and the Sunshine Band, featuring Kelvin Davis, can play the tunes and hit the notes the public wants to hear.
They've certainly started on the upbeat, judging by the review TV3's Patrick Gower gave of that first press conference; Paddy was positively gushing.
In this visual age, having television on your side is crucial for success. Ardern definitely has a positive image, and her stocks - and Labour's - are trending.
But so are those of wily old spin-meister Winston Peters, whose grasp of the soundbyte is hard to beat. Nor are the Greens lacking support; Metiria Turei's mea culpa in exposing the reality of poverty in New Zealand has struck a chord at the heart of who we think we are.
As Gower summed it, there's a mood for change. Ardern could help raise a tide that will sweep away National on polling day.
The only question then will be, who becomes Prime Minister?
■ Bruce Bisset is a freelance writer and poet.
