Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discusses visit to London, and discussing international challenges with world leaders.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has wound up her first formal trip to Europe, a week packed with flights, meetings with leaders, the Queen and sitting next to Prince William for dinner.
It was a time in which Europe was dealing with issues from the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the ongoing fallout of the nerve agent attack in the US and a further wave of cyber attacks - all of which many European leaders have claimed Russia was implicated in.
As well as Paris and Berlin, she has been at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. The Sun called her a "pregnant leftie". She travelled with partner Clarke Gayford who was constantly described as her husband in the British press.
She left with a great admiration for Prince Charles, swollen feet and a few bears for her baby.
The Herald sat down with her just before she left.
Jacinda Ardern and Clark Gayford arrive to attend The Queen's Dinner during The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Photo / REX/Shutterstock
Q: This was very much a relationship-establishing trip for you. Who in particular caught your attention?
A: Every bilateral I had has proven useful for different reasons but I think probably the thing I valued most was the insight particularly of [French President] Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Merkel around just the environment within Europe, their response to some of the international challenges that we are facing. Every perspective is different and equally they were interested in our view of the Pacific.
Q: Did you come away with a greater understanding of the sensitivities in Europe around the issues relating to Russia and Syria?
A: Absolutely, but as a consequence have greater confidence that we very much share similar positions on the challenges we are facing and a definite desire for us to return to the use of that multi-lateral approach.
Jacinda Ardern talks to the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as they arrive for the the second day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Photo / AP
Q: You seemed to spend quite a bit of time with Canada's PM Justin Trudeau.
A: Oh, because I was lagging on the way into [Buckingham] Palace. So yes, he walked slowly with me.
That was probably the most significant period of time I spent with PM Trudeau.
I spent most of my time meeting with some of my African and Caribbean counterparts because I don't usually at international forums have that opportunity.
So particularly the new President of South Africa, that was a really useful time to catch up with him and hear about some of his challenges and meeting with some of my Caribbean counterparts, like Jamaica, and talking about our collective environmental challenges. It was useful.
Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the London City Hall to talk gender equality. Photo / Sadique Khan Twitter
Q: You've had some feet issues with all this travel. How has it been?
A: I have had some feet issues. I absolutely stand by my statement that I'm pregnant and not incapacitated. And it hasn't changed any of my agenda. I've done everything here that I intended to do and maintain the pace we needed to make this a really worthwhile visit. But I haven't always had the footwear I would have liked to have had.
Q: [Former PM] John Key sometimes talked to Helen Clark at the start of his Prime Ministership before coming on these things about how to deal with different leaders. Have you ever spoken to him?
A: No, I haven't. Perhaps if I'd had more opportunities to catch up with him then I may have asked those questions. I have asked others more broadly for thoughts on how to make the most use out of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
Q: By others do you mean Helen Clark? (Clark was in London at the same time).
A: I mean other leaders coming in. But I obviously stay in pretty close contact with Helen Clark generally.
Q: Does she contact you when she knows you're doing something?
A: She hasn't about CHOGM but from time to time we touch base on a whole lot of things.
Q: You invited Emmanuel Macron to New Zealand. What are the chances of that happening?
A: I wouldn't want to put money on it because it is a big trip. But given his connection with the Pacific and Pacific territories I think we could well build in a trip to New Zealand amongst one of those visits. He's obviously coming in May with the referendum that's happening within their territories [New Caledonia's referendum on self-rule]. So perhaps in the future we might be able to piggyback a visit.
A: I just found him incredibly interesting and thoughtful. We had a good discussion and he was interested in New Zealand's perspective on issues as well. So it was a very easy conversation and a very useful one. Coming in one of my number one priorities was coming away with a sense we would have the potential in May to successfully start our EU FTA negotiations and coming from that visit in France I felt more confident of that happening than I have in the past.
Q: Prince William is due to have another child very soon and you sat with him at the state banquet. Were children discussed at all?
A: I actually did talk to him for quite some time but I'm not going to betray his confidence by talking about any of the content of that conversation but we talked about a number of issues, yep.
Q: How did Clarke [Gayford] cope? Did he get told off for wearing brown shoes to meet the Queen?
A: I didn't even notice the shade of his shoes when we went to meet the Queen. I think there was more concern about the bow tie. It caused some challenges.
Q: Prince Charles is a bit of an environmentalist. Did you talk about that side of things?
A: What has always impressed me about Prince Charles is that long before anyone else was talking about climate change and environmental issues, Prince Charles was. And so that means he has a real genuine appreciation for the issues around the ocean, around climate change and sea level rises that is really of interest to New Zealand and the Pacific. So all of that knowledge and that knowledge of New Zealand really came through for me in our conversations.
Q: Did you have any embarrassing moments?
A: If I did I wouldn't share them, would I? Nothing particularly stands out. I think probably I'm sure I made faux pas I just wasn't even aware of the time.
Q: Nothing that would bring shame and humiliation upon New Zealand's shoulders?
A: No. Not that I know of. At some point I probably used the wrong fork but nobody pulled me up on it.
A: No, I haven't actually. I remember that I heard a conversation behind me and threw in a joke and then realised the Queen was standing amongst them. So it wasn't intentional. That could have been my faux pas moment and I can't even remember it. I'm sure it would have been appropriate.
