Hipkins to be sworn in as New Zealand’s 41st Prime Minister
BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) According to Reuters, on the 22nd local time, New Zealand’s ruling Labor Party confirmed Chris Hipkins as the leader of the Labor Party and the 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand.
According to reports, after New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern announced on the 19th that he would resign as prime minister because he did not have enough energy to complete his work, the 44-year-old Hipkins became the only nominee for the position.
Hipkins said, “This is the greatest honor and responsibility of my life” and said that he faced the challenges of the future with “full energy and passion”.
According to British media, Hipkins was elected to Parliament for the first time in 2008. He has accumulated a reputation for responding to the new crown epidemic and has become the focus of public attention. He was appointed Minister of Health in 2020 and became Minister of COVID-19 Response at the end of the same year.
It is reported that before Hipkins becomes prime minister, Ardern will submit his resignation to the representative of King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Governor-General of New Zealand Keiro, who will then appoint Hipkins to this position. Hipkins said he will be sworn in on the 25th.
