Kiwi PM Jacinda Ardern announces pregnancy

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday that she and her partner will ­become parents in June.

Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford announce their news to the media in Auckland yesterday. Picture: Getty Images

After pulling off the surprise of the political year by becoming New Zealand Prime Minister,­ ­Jacinda Ardern has another trick up her sleeve: she’s to be a mother.

The 37-year-old leader announced yesterday that she and partner Clarke Gayford would ­become first-time parents in June, and she would take six weeks’ of maternity leave.

It seems they conceived soon before or just after election day on September 23, which delivered a stalemate that was unexpectedly settled in favour of Ms Ardern’s Labour Party by populist minority party leader Winston Peters.

Having been appointed Deputy Prime Minister by Ms Ardern, Mr Peters will step into her shoes while she comes to grip with motherhood.

“And we thought 2017 was a big year!,” she said yesterday, breaking the news of her pregnancy on social media.

“Clarke and I are really excited that in June our team will expand from two to three and that we’ll be joining the many parents out there who wear two hats.”

Malcolm Turnbull phoned from Japan to congratulate the happy couple, noting that Ms Ardern sounded more excited about becoming a mother than winning the election. “Lots of love and best wishes from me and Lucy and all of us across the ditch,” he tweeted.

Ms Ardern played down the inevitable questions of how she would juggle a prime ministerial workload with motherhood, saying: “I’m not the first woman to multi-task.

“I accept it’s an area of interest but this will not be the only milestone of this year or of this government.

“I want us to be known for what we achieve for New Zealanders. This will just be another addition to the history of this government.”

While Ms Ardern will be the first New Zealand prime minister to give birth while in office, the distinction of blazing that trail for women belongs to the late ­Benazir Bhutto, who had her second child in 1990 while she was prime minister of Pakistan.

But when she has her first audience with the Queen, Ms Ardern might well up-end convention by seeking advice from the monarch, instead of giving it.

Elizabeth had her third and fourth children, the princes ­Andrew and Edward, after she was crowned, and balanced royal with maternal duties while she came of age on the throne.

Ms Ardern revealed she had suffered from morning sickness during the tense negotiations with Mr Peters to stitch together the minority government that put her into office.

This made the talks somewhat “tricky”, she said yesterday.

But Mr Peters had been “wonderful” and was part of a support network that would click in as the pregnancy progressed.

Mr Gayford, who hosts a popular fishing show on local TV, would become a “stay-at-home dad” after Ms Ardern returned to work and he would travel with her when possible.

Additional reporting: Emily Ritchie