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New Zealand's next PM led COVID-19 crackdown

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="New Zealand Police Minister Chris Hipkins speaks to media outside Parliament House in Wellington, New Zealand, January 21, 2023. Ben Mckay Australia and New Zealand out/EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/overseas/01/21/new-zealand-police-minister-chris-hipkins-epa-1212023.jpg"/><figcaption>New Zealand Police Minister Chris Hipkins speaks to media outside Parliament House in Wellington, New Zealand, January 21, 2023. Ben Mckay Australia and New Zealand out/EPA-EFE</figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Poised to be New Zealand&#x27;s next prime minister, Chris Hipkins became a household name leading the nation&#x27;s closed-border crackdown on COVID-19 and describes himself as a decisive, straight-talking politician.</p><p>The 44-year-old police and education minister emerged Saturday as his Labour Party&#x27;s sole contender to replace Jacinda Ardern following her shock resignation barely 48 hours earlier. He is to be formally endorsed for the job Sunday.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/19/23/new-zealand-pm-ardern-announces-she-will-resign-next-month">New Zealand PM Ardern announces she will resign next month</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/multimedia/photo/01/20/23/new-zealand-pm-i-am-human">New Zealand PM Ardern &#x27;walks away&#x27; from post</a></li></ul><div> </div><p>&quot;Hopefully New Zealanders know me as someone who is upfront, doesn&#x27;t mind admitting when they&#x27;ve made a mistake and can laugh at themselves,&quot; he told reporters after being selected.</p><p>The red-headed Hipkins won plaudits for his near two-year term as the Covid response minister in a country that shut its borders to keep the coronavirus out, only fully reopening to the outside world in August last year.</p><p>He later conceded that rolling lockdowns were &quot;tough going&quot; and said they had to be eased as people wearied of the restrictions.</p><p>Political commentator Josie Pagani has described Hipkins, with more than 14 years in opposition and government, as &quot;sensible, likable, tough, and capable&quot;.</p><p>Hipkins has been police minister since June last year, a key role given criticism of the government&#x27;s record on crime, in addition to serving more than five years as education minister and public service minister.</p><p>&quot;I think I am relatively upfront, I&#x27;m relatively inclusive. People won&#x27;t die wondering what I think,&quot; he told reporters outside parliament in Wellington.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a big day for a boy from the Hutt,&quot; he said, referring to the Hutt Valley region near the capital Wellington.</p><p>&quot;My parents came from relatively humble beginnings and worked really hard to provide a good life for my brother and I,&quot; Hipkins added, vowing to give New Zealanders the opportunities to improve their lives.</p><p>Justice Minister Kiri Allan, one of Labour&#x27;s senior Maori MPs, who had been considered a potential prime minister herself, said Hipkins was decisive and would be an &quot;incredibly strong&quot; prime minister.</p><p>&quot;He is extremely competent, with a track record of delivering for New Zealand as one of our most senior ministers over the past six years,&quot; she said.</p><div><strong> &#x27;GARBAGE&#x27;</strong></div><p>Hipkins told journalists he liked cycling, gardening, DIY and being outdoors but conceded: &quot;Maybe I don&#x27;t have the best fashion sense in parliament.&quot; </p><p>Asked whether having a red-haired prime minister would be a historic moment for the country, he said: &quot;I think it was about time we had a ginger at the top.&quot;</p><p>The incoming New Zealand leader studied politics and criminology at Victoria University and then worked in the industry training sector.</p><p>Before becoming an MP in 2008, he worked as a senior adviser to two education ministers and former prime minister Helen Clark.</p><p>Although known as a personable and laid-back operator, Hipkins was involved in some high-profile spats with Australia&#x27;s former conservative government. </p><p>In 2021, he accused Australia of &quot;exporting its garbage&quot; to New Zealand -- a reference to Canberra&#x27;s controversial policy of deporting criminals back to their country of birth. </p><p>Hipkins was admonished by Ardern in 2017 after he was accused of playing a role in a dual citizenship scandal in the Australian parliament.</p><p>Then-deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce was forced to stand down after information released to Hipkins revealed Joyce was a dual citizen of both Australia and New Zealand. </p><p>Australia&#x27;s constitution forbids federal politicians from sitting in parliament if they hold dual citizenship. </p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mjLmMsatoZw?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div> </div>

Poised to be New Zealand's next prime minister, Chris Hipkins became a household name leading the nation's closed-border crackdown on COVID-19 and describes himself as a decisive, straight-talking politician.