Claire Timperley
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clairetimperley.bsky.social
Claire Timperley
@clairetimperley.bsky.social
150 followers 170 following 25 posts
Senior Lecturer in Political Theory and Aotearoa New Zealand Politics at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington. Pākehā. She/her.
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clairetimperley.bsky.social
Thank you for such lovely stewardship through the process Andy!
September 3, 2025 at 6:30 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
It has been such a delight working on this project. We hope this is a valuable contribution to understanding the context, constraints and opportunities of the time. Huge thanks to the reviewers and Political Science journal team, in particular @fionacbarker.bsky.social and @willdreyer.bsky.social
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(10) An article considering debates about the Ardern-led government's foreign policy, courtesy of @hamishmcdnz.bsky.social: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). The conspicuous public debate currently underway about New Zealand foreign policy makes it a valuable time to appraise that of the Jacinda Ardern Government, 2017–2023. This appraisal prompts several questions addressed in New Zealand’s Foreign Policy under the Jacinda Ardern Government, including whether that Government’s foreign policy is best characterised by change or continuity; whether it proactively asserted its own values and strategies or was subsumed by major unforeseen events such as COVID-19 and the Christchurch mosque shootings; and the effect its responses to these events had on New Zealand’s external relations. The answers to these questions are complex, with contradictory evidence and several apparent paradoxes. The article concludes by suggesting the importance of nuance in assessing the foreign policy of the Ardern Government; understanding historical context and using wider timeframes; the need to eschew overly polarised characterisation; and a requirement to evaluate both the negative and positive effects that major unforeseen events and crises have had on foreign policy. More nuanced assessments can assist the New Zealand Government’s policy responses to strategic competition, particularly between the US and China, and prepare for future disruptive events that have significant international aspects, including those requiring rapid foreign policy formulation.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(9) An article on the Ardern-led government's response to poverty and inequality, courtesy of @peterskilling.bsky.social: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). In her time as Prime Minister of the sixth Labour government, Jacinda Ardern made inequality and poverty central issues in her political agenda, and committed the government she led to making a lasting impact on these issues. In this article, I evaluate their approach to inequality and poverty in two distinct ways. I first provide an account of the policy initiatives of the sixth Labour government (2017–2023) and summarise the effects of these initiatives. This analysis shows that the government relied primarily on politically straightforward and uncontroversial policy actions that did not challenge important aspects of the status quo. Second, I present a critical evaluation of the policy narratives of inequality and poverty constructed by Ardern and her government. This analysis of key texts finds that inequality was constructed overwhelmingly in terms of the problem of poverty (eliding the issue of wealth concentration) and that the Government’s policy narratives were consistently inclusive and politically non-threatening, refusing to acknowledge or address the social cleavages that contribute to and that are exacerbated by poverty and inequality.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(8) An article assessing the Ardern-led government's approach to climate change, courtesy of @samcrawley.bsky.social and Ralph Chapman: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). The sixth Labour government under Jacinda Ardern placed climate change at the centre of their agenda, referring to it as the ‘greatest challenge facing the world’. Definite progress was made on climate policy during the government’s tenure, particularly with the flagship Zero Carbon Act. Overall, however, policy changes were not transformative, and few policies were enacted that will substantially decrease emissions. This article sheds light on this gap between the sixth Labour government’s resolution to tackle climate change and the reality of actual policy outputs. We ask: what are the main factors that shaped climate policy outputs under the sixth Labour government? Using process tracing, we examine the ‘digital wake’ of key debates in three climate policy domains of energy, transport and agriculture. Using publicly available documents to investigate policies pursued by the government between 2018 and 2022, we find that industry resistance (particularly from the farming sector), coalition dynamics and public opinion all hindered progress. However, the government was not always fully committed to climate action, particularly on reducing agricultural emissions. The difficulties experienced by the sixth Labour government in achieving their climate ambitions illustrate the strong political headwinds that impede delivery of substantive climate change mitigation in New Zealand.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(7) An article considering the Crown-Māori relationship during the Ardern-era through a case study of the Pā to Plate initiative, courtesy of Merata Kawharu and Paul Tapsell: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). Treaty principles have provided the framework for Māori-Crown relationships to advance Treaty settlements and other outcomes since the 1980s. Principles are Crown interpretations of the Treaty’s intent, even if they are widely utilised by Crown and Māori alike. If both language texts of the Treaty/Te Tiriti o Waitangi are considered from a kāinga perspective, we can consider different approaches to its interpretation and implementation. Foundational to a kāinga view is a reciprocal relationship of accountability between Crown kawanatanga (Article 1) and Māori tino rangatiratanga (Article 2). At the heart of this relationship is as a double trusteeship: the protection of rangatiratanga (trusteeship leadership; sovereignty; self-determination), in exchange for kawanatanga (governance) which in the context of Crown-Māori relationships means the Crown has fiduciary-like obligations to protect rangatiratanga. The potential of the double trusteeship is explored through a multi-marae-based venture “Pā to Plate” as an example of a novel food sovereignty system that harnesses economic and cultural wealth generation. While the Crown—in this case the sixth Labour government struggled to engage with the venture, Pā to Plate demonstrates significant potential for rangatiratanga advancement. The double trusteeship can underpin any kāinga-led endeavour that calls on Crown engagement, commitment and support.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(6) An article examining Crown-Māori relations through the innovation of Te Arawhiti, courtesy of Metiria Turei: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). This article examines the Sixth Labour Government’s innovation in establishing Te Arawhiti, the Ministry of Māori-Crown Affairs, to ‘progress the Māori-Crown relationship in a positive, nation-building’ way. The rhetoric of ‘te arawhiti – the bridge’ as a new approach to Māori Crown relationships is analysed in relation to three examples: Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority; the hapū occupation at Ihumaatao; and the political management of He Puapua, the report of the Working Group on a Plan to Realise the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This article concludes that Jacinda Ardern’s government innovated well in places but only achieved its vision when constructing a model of its own design. When asked by Māori to ‘cross the bridge’ and work with Māori propositions for change, the government was not nimble enough to do so. Moreover, the bridge-building intent became a political weapon used against the Prime Minister, her government and Māori, and the government suffered a failure of communication and a failure of nerve in responding to these attacks. The consequence of these failures for Māori was even greater uncertainty, and political hostility, than before Labour took power.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(5) An article analysing Ardern's portrayal of motherhood on social media, courtesy of myself, Claire Fitzpatrick and @drevaneely.bsky.social: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). Three months after taking office as Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern posted a now iconic image of hei matau (fish hooks) to her Instagram account announcing her pregnancy. Only the second leader of a nation in modern history to give birth while in office, Ardern’s announcement was significant not only in substance but also in style. In this article, we situate Ardern’s leadership in the international literature on motherhood and politics, analysing how she used social media to communicate with her followers about her experiences of motherhood and their responses to her posts. We employ a thematic analysis of multimodal data to explore Ardern’s personalisation of social media posts, focusing on content related to motherhood shared on her two most active platforms, Facebook and Instagram. We identify four key themes in how she portrayed herself as a mother and political leader and how followers responded to these portrayals: i. political presence of motherhood, ii. everyday motherhood, iii. making care visible, iv. mother of the nation. Our analysis shows that across her social media, Ardern challenged traditional conceptions of political leadership and motherhood. Her posts presented realistic expectations and experiences of motherhood as a working mother, contributed to more inclusive leadership norms and subverted neoliberal mothering scripts.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(4) An article on the gendered leadership norms Ardern faced as PM during major domestic and global crises, courtesy of @suzewilson.bsky.social: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). Crises are often considered the true test of a leader. In popular narratives, being ‘tough’, decisive and suppressing emotions routinely feature as key to crisis leadership. These idealised leader attributes are entwined with dominant ideals of masculinity, influencing public expectations about how leaders should handle crises. Such perceptions cannot be readily ignored; hence, as a woman leading her nation through crisis events Jacinda Ardern was unavoidably incongruent with the manly ‘ideal leader’ prototype. This incongruity was further heightened by her approach which emphasised feminised attributes, such as kindness, empathy and embodied displays of care; the assertive exercise of her agency; and, feminist values, such as a concern for equity, inclusivity and an ethics of care. To better understand the implications of her approach, this article examines Ardern’s leadership of two significant crises – the Christchurch terror attacks and COVID-19 – via a focus on issues of gender. I argue Ardern’s leadership approach both reflected and challenged gendered norms in ways that fostered an effective crisis response, and simultaneously, evoked resistance from those hankering after the manly leader prototype. Her example thus suggests that women’s crisis leadership can incur the double jeopardy of tackling both the crisis itself and navigating their incongruity with a masculinised crisis leader prototype.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(3) An article setting Ardern's premiership in historical context that challenges the narrative of 'Jacindamania' in domestic media coverage, courtesy of V.K.G Woodman: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). This article considers how Jacinda Ardern’s tenure as prime minister fits within the prime ministerial power scholarship and how she compares to past prime ministers. I discuss how New Zealand prime ministers – and particularly Ardern – exercised powers in relation to parliament and the executive, and consider their public prominence. I argue that, first, prime ministers’ parliamentary role decreased over the 20th century, and that Ardern was not especially prominent or active in parliamentary debates. Furthermore, parliament transacted a standard amount of business during Ardern’s terms in office. Second, Ardern’s executive role was not especially notable in terms of her approach to forming government, allocating portfolios and reprimanding ministers. The 2017–2020 governing arrangements were unique in that New Zealand First worked with the second-largest major party post-election, although the coalition still required support from the Green party. In 2020, however, she won an historic single-party majority, but still broadly followed the pattern of recent prime ministers who formed oversized governing arrangements. Finally, despite accusations of Jacindamania, domestic media coverage of Ardern was not especially high compared to that of past prime ministers. However, international coverage of both the New Zealand prime minister and Ardern personally was especially notable.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
(2) An article on the effect of Covid-19 on democratic government in Aotearoa, courtesy of @drdeanknight.bsky.social: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). Abstract reads: This article looks at the response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand, especially the way the sixth Labour-led government protected the health of the community and health of democratic government. The path of the pandemic is explained along with the main public health measures and key legal mechanisms used to combat it. The various ways democratic institutions contributed to the response and adapted to the threat of the pandemic are catalogued. Particular steps taken to ensure the continuation of democratic and accountability processes are highlighted. The article concludes by reflecting on the culture of democratic government in New Zealand and distinctive features of the Labour-led government’s response.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
The full special issue contains (1) an introduction by Janine and me, offering an overview of the Ardern-led government and research thus far: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Screenshot of abstract of the article, which can be accessed online via the Political Science journal website (link in thread above). Jacinda Ardern’s profile as a prime minister of many ‘firsts’ and the challenges confronting her government make her leadership of the sixth Labour government worthy of critical scrutiny. From the beginning of her campaign as Labour party leader, elated public reactions to Ardern’s appearances garnered the moniker ‘Jacindamania’. This attention intensified when she became one of only two women in modern history to give birth as an elected leader of a country. Her two terms as prime minister were characterised by national tragedy and crisis. Three devastating events put her leadership in the spotlight: the Christchurch mosque terrorist attacks and the Whakaari/White Island volcanic eruption both in 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic national lockdown in 2020. The pandemic cast a long shadow over Ardern’s tenure, but her self- described ‘transformative’ government faced other challenges with varied results from 2017 to 2023. This introduction sets Ardern’s leadership in context, noting the international attention she attracted and the challenging domestic landscape she governed. We highlight scholarship examining Ardern’s leadership, and outline her rise to power within the Labour party and her 5-year tenure as head of government. We reflect on the significance of the Ardern years, before previewing the special issue articles.
August 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
There will be an article in the special issue about how the government acted during Covid-19 that touches on governance and constitutional issues, not so much on human rights (forthcoming soon). In terms of what's already been written, I highly recommend @drdeanknight.bsky.social's work.
June 3, 2025 at 4:48 AM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
If you don't have library access let me know and I can send you a link to the full paper (limited to 50 copies).
January 14, 2025 at 1:14 AM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
You are one of the lucky ones!
January 14, 2025 at 12:29 AM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
These three articles provide a nuanced assessment of Ardern's leadership and the Sixth Labour Government, helping us build a more complete and complex picture of #nzpols. Eight more articles to come... watch this space!
January 12, 2025 at 11:33 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
@peterskilling.bsky.social analyses the Sixth Labour Government's approach to poverty and inequality, showing that despite poverty being a signature issue in Ardern's political agenda, the focus on poverty (esp. child poverty) elided key structural issues.
DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00323187.2024.2441360
Image of article abstract: 'The sixth labour government on poverty and inequality: policy action and political language', authored by Peter Skilling.
January 12, 2025 at 11:33 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
@samcrawley.bsky.social and Ralph Chapman evaluate the Sixth Labour Government's approach to climate policy, finding that despite transformational rhetoric, policy changes were not transformative. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00323187.2024.2446333
Image of article abstract: 'Resolution and resistance: what shaped New Zealand's climate change policies under the sixth Labour government', authored by Sam Crawley and Ralph Chapman.
January 12, 2025 at 11:33 PM
clairetimperley.bsky.social
@suzewilson.bsky.social examines Ardern's approach to crisis leadership through the Chch terror attacks and Covid-19, showing the double jeopardy faced by #Ardern in challenging gendered leadership norms. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00323187.2024.2440328
Image of article abstract: 'Cometh the hour, cometh the woman: Jacinda Ardern's crisis leadership and issues of gender', authored by Suze Wilson.
January 12, 2025 at 11:33 PM