# NZ PM preggers! Any political ramifications/repercussions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 19, 2018, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939 "2018-01-19T02:37:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/21 "2018-01-19T14:25:12Z")
OTOH, we _are_ talking about NZ here. I’m sure the sheep will do just fine for the duration. 😃 I kid, I kid! Been there for an extended vacation, and loved it. Wonderful country. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/22 "2018-01-19T15:10:06Z")
Bah, that will teach me to not hit Post just before going out. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/23 "2018-01-19T15:44:31Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > So, looks like New Zealand’s new [Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will become the first modern head of state to give birth while in office](http://www.smh.com.au/world/new-zealand-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-pregnant-with-first-child-20180118-h0kq2e.html),\* later this year. In the Office? They don’t have hospitals there? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/24 "2018-01-19T21:50:05Z")
Hyuk hyuk, but nice catch about Benazir Bhutto, **Sunny Daze**! Yes, I thought it sounded pretty neat too. But recalling all the foofaraw there’s traditionally been about potential physical liabilities of female leaders, I thought it would be interesting to see how it was regarded in general. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/25 "2018-01-19T22:26:53Z")
Well, lets just say if [Tony Abbott](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/23/julia-gillard-misogynist-sexism-baby?intcmp=239), [Mark Latham](http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/mark-latham-says-julia-gillard-has-no-empathy-because-shes-childless/news-story/c4a00144d22113cdf7b6cd8a723f2016) or [George Brandis](http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/liberal-george-brandis-attacks-childless-julia-gillard/news-story/e665661e855bc3196aca9db98c209dd7) says one damn thing about it, then they all need to be nibbled to death by a horde of carnivorous kiwis [sup]\*[/sup] I’m not familiar enough with NZ politics to know whether you have any politicians who are willing to make a ‘thing’ out of their female leaders’ childbearing status, but if you don’t, then you are more evolved than we are, and I applaud you. [sup]\*[/sup]who do eat worms, by the way… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/26 "2018-01-19T22:31:25Z")
I am supremely apathetic, other than to offer Mrs. (I assume so, anyway) Ardern my congratulations. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/27 "2018-01-19T23:00:39Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > ?? Why would it be? Would this post even exist if she was a man expecting a new child? I hope we haven’t gotten postmodern to the point where we think that men and women have the same physical experience/role/circumstances in pregnancy. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/28 "2018-01-19T23:09:57Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Well, lets just say if [Tony Abbott](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/23/julia-gillard-misogynist-sexism-baby?intcmp=239), [Mark Latham](http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/mark-latham-says-julia-gillard-has-no-empathy-because-shes-childless/news-story/c4a00144d22113cdf7b6cd8a723f2016) or [George Brandis](http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/liberal-george-brandis-attacks-childless-julia-gillard/news-story/e665661e855bc3196aca9db98c209dd7) says one damn thing about it, then they all need to be nibbled to death by a horde of carnivorous kiwis [sup]\*[/sup] > > I’m not familiar enough with NZ politics to know whether you have any politicians who are willing to make a ‘thing’ out of their female leaders’ childbearing status, but if you don’t, then you are more evolved than we are, and I applaud you. > [sup]\*[/sup]who do eat worms, by the way… I haven’t heard anything negative here in NZ yet… There is sure to be someone that’s going to decry her decision…but we are rather progressive here…having a female PM no longer raises an eyebrow…so I guess this is just another step down the “slippery slope” towards equality. Probably salient to point out here that we celebrated 100 years of universal suffrage this year and we have had the three most powerful political posts in the country simultaneously filled by women. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/29 "2018-01-19T23:12:05Z")
Oh…and by the way…she’s not married, and her partner is giving up work to be a stay at home Dad ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/30 "2018-01-20T02:31:55Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I hope we haven’t gotten postmodern to the point where we think that men and women have the same physical experience/role/circumstances in pregnancy. I hope we aren’t still so Victorian that we think a woman’s “confinement” starts as soon as she’s showing and that not much can be expected from her for months on either side of the delivery. Most places have longer maternity leaves, but the experience of women in the US has made it abundantly clear that the vast majority of women can work until their water breaks and be back on the job in six weeks or less. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/31 "2018-01-20T03:07:42Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Gender equality is fine. But I don’t think anyone is going to claim that a man and a woman bear an equal share in the physical involvement in a pregnancy. > [@Velocity](#): > > I hope we haven’t gotten postmodern to the point where we think that men and women have the same physical experience/role/circumstances in pregnancy. Frankly, these seem ridiculous. Nobody’s claiming the mother doesn’t bear the largest physical role in pregnancy, but we’re not talking about something that’s going to keep her from performing her duties for months and months; the comparison with brief injuries or surgeries for men is apt. Aside from a few hours to days of labor and recovery (depending on method), she’s not even going to be as incapacitated as, say, Reagan was. And we’re talking about a powerful and wealthy person. As far as the actual childrearing goes, she’ll have help if she needs it, well beyond her partner’s full-time aid. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/32 "2018-01-20T03:31:37Z")
What makes you say she’s wealthy? Her dad was a police officer and her mum was a school catering assistant. Her own career has all been in politics. [Jacinda Ardern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacinda_Ardern) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/33 "2018-01-20T04:07:55Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > ?? Why would it be? Would this post even exist if she was a man expecting a new child? > [@TimeWinder](#): > > Nobody’s claiming the mother doesn’t bear the largest physical role in pregnancy, This has to be a contender for the Chutzpahiest Post of 2018. Bookmark this thread. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/34 "2018-01-20T04:45:58Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > What makes you say she’s wealthy? Her dad was a police officer and her mum was a school catering assistant. Her own career has all been in politics. Oh, FFS. Her yearly salary is over four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. She can afford a nanny. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > This has to be a contender for the Chutzpahiest Post of 2018. Bookmark this thread. I’m sure you’re making a point, but I have no idea what it is. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/35 "2018-01-22T13:27:53Z")
If it were a national leader in the US it would likely be an issue for certain elements here: 1. She’s having a child out of wedlock. 2. She had sex while holding office (and probably enjoyed it). 3. It would be assumed the pregnancy would impact her ability to do the job. NZ seems like a much more civilized, forward-thinking, and more equal society for not making an issue out of it. Congrats to her! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/36 "2018-01-22T13:54:29Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Frankly, these seem ridiculous. Nobody’s claiming the mother doesn’t bear the largest physical role in pregnancy, but we’re not talking about something that’s going to keep her from performing her duties for months and months; the comparison with brief injuries or surgeries for men is apt. Aside from a few hours to days of labor and recovery (depending on method), she’s not even going to be as incapacitated as, say, Reagan was. The OP seemed to me to be talking about the possible medical complications that could arise from a pregnancy. He specifically mentioned prolonged hospitalization. So when you seemed to equate the role of the father and the mother in a pregnancy, I thought it was valid to point out this difference. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/37 "2018-01-22T13:58:04Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Tony Blair had a child when in office as did David Cameron. > > JFK had a child born and die while in office > > Grover Cleveland had a daughter when in office. I was thinking John Tyler was on this list. But I checked and while he had eight children before becoming President and seven more after being President, he took a break while he was in office. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/38 "2018-01-22T17:30:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The OP seemed to me to be talking about the possible medical complications that could arise from a pregnancy. He specifically mentioned prolonged hospitalization. So when you seemed to equate the role of the father and the mother in a pregnancy, I thought it was valid to point out this difference. That would only be relevant if healthy behaviour was mandatory for a PM/ President. While many politicans try to live healthy to deal with the stress of the Job, usually nobody Forces them to, no matter how much higher the risk of heart infarct is from eating fatty Foods without exercise or similar. So I don’t quite see why a double Standard should apply to this woman. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/39 "2018-01-22T18:37:59Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > That would only be relevant if healthy behaviour was mandatory for a PM/ President. While many politicans try to live healthy to deal with the stress of the Job, usually nobody Forces them to, no matter how much higher the risk of heart infarct is from eating fatty Foods without exercise or similar. > > So I don’t quite see why a double Standard should apply to this woman. :dubious: Seriously? Being the Chief Executive of a Country is a bit more stressful occupation than an average office job or housewife. And a lot more important. Benazir’s Secretary Cabinet (think the Country’s senior-most Civil Servant)\* recalled how much he was worried about the massive strain she was under already and this got worse during her pregnancy. He said it was no different than a worry he had for a male PM with heart or other medical conditions. So he tried to reduce her workload as much as he could. Another senior official at the time, a woman herself, remembered observing BB looking nauseous during a budget brief and having to delay a decision. Its not like she was treated like an ordinary mother to be during her pregnancy and delivery, she maintained a full travel schedule, throughout, they brought her papers to work on in the maternity ward and she was back at work the next day. A woman should not be denied a chance to aspire to high office, just because she is in her childbearing years. But, while a pregnancy would be a manageable problem, it should be accepted that it would be a problem. \*Interestingly he says that the PM House’s doctors staff had specialists in everything _but_ maternity. They had to engage outside Doctors, and those guys were given background checks as through as nuclear forces people got. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939/40 "2018-01-22T19:16:05Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Seriously? Being the Chief Executive of a Country is a bit more stressful occupation than an average office job or housewife. And a lot more important. I’m guessing running Pakistan is often a bit more stressful than running New Zealand though. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nz-pm-preggers-any-political-ramifications-repercussions/806939.md?page=3)