New Zealand's new leader impresses by answering the phone

Bs_logoImage
AP Wellington
Last Updated : Oct 21 2017 | 10:02 PM IST
When an Australian journalist wanted to find out how to correctly pronounce the name of New Zealand's incoming prime minister, he, unwittingly, went straight to the top.
According to The New Zealand Herald, Tiger Webb of Australia's ABC Radio called the New Zealand Parliament yesterday to find out how Jacinda Ardern, who takes over as prime minister this coming week, pronounces her surname.
Webb was transferred to the Labour Party's offices, and none other than Ardern herself answered the phone. She told Webb that her last name is pronounced "AH-durn."
"It was funny. I was in a meeting and my desk phone started to ring and it doesn't ring much so I went over and I saw it was an international number and I just picked up," Ardern told the Herald.
The brief phone conversation sparked some lively Twitter banter after an impressed Webb tweeted about the incident. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark tweeted, "That's New Zealand!!"
Ardern, 37, will be New Zealand's youngest leader in more than 150 years, and hopes to take the country on a more liberal path following nine years of rule by the conservatives.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories

  • Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 21 2017 | 10:02 PM IST