Jacinda Ardern

It is tempting to look at the usual economic indicators when evaluating a government’s performance at the end of a Prime Minister’s run … employment, growth, inflation, and maybe the exchange rate. In the case of Jacinda Ardern’s government after five years, however, this would not be the right approach.

There are two reasons why Ardern’s half-decade seems much longer. First, it was a time packed with events. And second, Ardern has left her mark on New Zealand.