New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has defended making a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 take an extra trip to the Pacific Island of Nauru so she can minimise time away from her infant daughter.
The aircraft flew back from the Pacific Islands Forum on Nauru to pick her up on Wednesday morning, just a day after her deputy Winston Peters departed for the island nation.
The extra trip will cost taxpayers about $NZ50,000 ($AS45,000) according to New Zealand media but has been justified by Ms Ardern as a “unique set of circumstances”.
“I weighed up all these issues – this was a unique set of circumstances, there won’t be many occasions that have this set of circumstances,” she told reporters.
“It was something I gave a lot of thought to – but the other option was not attending.
“When weighing up the logistics I asked officials to check the extra costs I would be imposing on the Crown if I were travelling separately.
“On balance I decided it was worth me travelling for the full day on the Wednesday to fulfil my obligations as prime minister.”
NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters arrives at Nauru international airport on the Pacific nation of Nauru. Source: AAP
The Kiwi PM is still breastfeeding her 11-week-old daughter Neve, who is too young to get the immunisations required to visit Nauru.
She said she decided that while she could not miss the Pacific Islands Forum meeting, which brings together government heads from across the region, she also could not leave her daughter for the full three days.
Instead, the 757 was ordered to return to New Zealand rather than meeting Ms Ardern in the Marshall Islands on its Wednesday return flight.
Nauru lacks the available room on the airport tarmac for all of the aircraft ferrying in the various Pacific leaders for the three-day forum, requiring planes to be shuttled back to the Marshall Islands.
The Republic of Nauru is hosting the Pacific Island Forum. Source: AFP
Ms Ardern arrived for the last day of the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum on Wednesday morning.
The extra flight has been criticised by some, including New Zealand AM Show host Duncan Garner who said he was “loathe to criticise a parent for wanting to be with their newborn”.
“But just pull out of the meeting.”
Ms Ardern is intending to take Neve with her on a trip to New York later in September for the UN general assembly.
