The remark was captured by a hot microphone in parliament and included in the official transcript of the debate taking place at the time, making it part of the official parliamentary record.
During a legislative debate, the prime minister of New Zealand was overheard calling a rival politician an “arrogant prick.”
Jacinda Ardern remarked as she returned to her seat following a series of questions from David Seymour, the head of the libertarian ACT party.
The profanity was captured by a hot microphone and included in the official transcript of the parliamentary debate.
The incident of name-calling was also carried on Parliament TV, but most MPs missed it because house speaker Adrian Rurawhe began speaking at the same time.
The office of Ms. Ardern stated that she apologized to Mr. Seymour for the statement.
According to the transcript, Mr. Seymour inquired, “Can the prime minister provide an example of her making a mistake, apologizing for it, and correcting it?”
Then Ms. Ardern responded: “On several times, we have acknowledged that our responses would not be faultless…
“But I stand by the work we’ve done as a government over the past year and term; we’ve always made decisions based on what we believed to be in New Zealand’s best interests at the time.
I wished her a happy holiday season.
The 42-year-old has been prime minister for five years and has enjoyed strong approval ratings for the majority of her two-term tenure; nonetheless, she will face a difficult election campaign in 2023.
Mr. Seymour reported that he has subsequently received an apology from Ms. Ardern, who stated that she should not have remarked.
The representative continued, “She said, ‘As my mother would say, if you don’t have anything pleasant to say, don’t say it at all.'”
“She has apologized, and I have wished her a Merry Christmas — that’s the New Zealand way.”
Commenting on the international interest in the incident, he stated that it “demonstrates the irritation felt by those observing Jacinda Ardern but not living under her policies.”
He claimed that New Zealand had been “isolated” from the rest of the globe, that the economy had been “mismanaged,” and that the country has had a “crime surge.”
Mr. Seymour stated, “Many New Zealanders are frustrated, and as we heard today, so is she.”
“We don’t want her to apologize to me; rather, we want her to acknowledge that her policy settings are incorrect.”
