Tim Dower: After trading on celebrity, it is necessary to deliver on policy

Much has been made of the personal criticism—no, that doesn't go far enough, the vicious personal attacks outgoing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern endured, and how much they may have played into her decision to give it away.

We could debate whether she invited some of that —albeit unwittingly— by allowing her leadership to become so much about herself, personally.

Was Jacindamania Ardern's fault? And should the media take some of the blame for getting on the merry-go-round right at the beginning?

We had something of an extended honeymoon, and as a nation we were quite happy to bask in her reflected glory on the international stage.

We went along with the pregnant young leader, a PM giving birth in office, womens' magazine covers here, global celebrity elsewhere.

We got sucked in to her personal life.

I want to acknowledge Jacinda Ardern's outstanding gift for communication, and the fact she did exactly the right job when we needed it: the start of the pandemic.

But after trading on celebrity for a while… it is eventually necessary to start delivering on policy.

And when delivery on every metric starts to look weak, even the finest communicator can't sell that.

You can't polish a turd and Ardern knows that. Is that why she quit?

Look, I applaud anyone who puts their hand up for public office at whatever level. School board, local body, Parliament, it takes courage and commitment. So, sincerely, good on ya.

And for selfish reasons I wish Chris Hipkins success in his effort to turn the country around.

Perhaps we'll be a bit more focussed on his performance than his sartorial elegance, or lack of it.

And perhaps his own comment about keeping his private life private is a hint as to what he thought about his predecessor's style.

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