Jacinda Ardern becomes Prime Minister of New Zealand

IT was a day many never thought would come — but today New Zealand’s new young PM capped off an unbelievable rise to power.

JACINDA Ardern is officially the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy signed the warrant appointing Ms Ardern, 37, as Prime Minister in a swearing in ceremony at Government House in Wellington on Thursday morning. The warrant officially appointing her deputy, NZ First leader Winston Peters, has also been signed.

There are 31 cabinet ministers, ministers outside cabinet and parliamentary undersecretaries being sworn in during the ceremony.

More than 100 guests, including Ms Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford and her parents, watched as she officially became the youngest PM in 160 years. She is the third female to be Prime Minister.

Before the ceremony, Bill English, the leader of the conservative National Party, resigned as prime minister. His party had failed to strike a coalition deal despite winning the largest number of votes at the September 23 election. English, 55, has said he will continue as opposition leader.

Ardern took the helm of the country’s opposition party on August 1 and has since been compared to France’s Emmanuel Macron and Canada’s Justin Trudeau as part of a new breed of young, charismatic liberal leaders.

Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy with Jacinda Ardern (right) who has become NZ Prime Minister. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Ardern’s election win was confirmed a week ago after Mr Peters rejected governing with the National Party, instead joining Labour in coalition. The Greens will also offer confidence and supply to the coalition and three of its MPs have been included in the executive sworn into power today.

Under her leadership, New Zealand will tighten immigration and curb foreign property ownership.

In her first major speech in her new role, Ardern said on Wednesday that her government will “introduce a law to ban overseas speculators from buying existing homes, and we’ll do it by Christmas.”

Ms Arden is expected to recall parliament on November 7.