The most anticipated wedding in New Zealand's history will take place this summer, when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her fiance Clarke Gayford tie the knot.
Ms Ardern, 40, revealed on Coast Radio she and Mr Gayford, 44, would wed after two and a half years of engagement. "We have finally got a date. Finally," she said, declining to reveal the precise date, but adding it would be "this coming summer". "When I say we've got a date, that doesn't mean we've told anyone yet. I feel like we should probably put some invites out!" Weddings by heads of government are relatively rare.
When UK Prime Minister Boris Johnston marries his fiancee Carrie Symonds, as he intends to do this year, he will become the first British leader to do so in office in almost two centuries. While Ms Ardern's wedding timetable has been set, the scale and size is not yet clear. Ms Ardern is well known to count international celebrities - including members of Britain's Royal family - as personal friends. Her popularity both at home and abroad prompts persistent questions about her relationship, her wedding and whether or not her two-year-old daughter Neve may get a brother or sister. She and her office keep a tight rein on her private life, usually shunning questions that stray from her role as prime minister. In the past year, she has also firmed up a practice of declining all internationally-based media requests, save for a few Australian television appearances last month when the trans-Tasman bubble was confirmed. Since her election win, Ms Ardern has decided to conduct more light-touch interviews with FM radio stations and magazines, which tend to stray into the personal. In a long-form interview with Kiwi magazine Thrive, Ms Ardern revealed she got through last year - managing New Zealand through the COVID-19 pandemic and winning October's election - on a simple diet. "I live on cups of tea to be honest and blimmin bliss balls," she said. "My mother made so many bliss balls for me during the election that I was being powered by dates." Mr Gayford is a radio and television personality, who hosts fishing program Fish Of The Day, while acting as Neve's primary caregiver. "Thank God Clarke is a morning person," Ms Ardern said to Thrive. "I don't think I've talked about this before but he has consistently been the night and morning person for our daughter. "He will bring me a cup of tea every morning without fail. Which sounds like its a little thing but it's not. "He'll make me breakfast if I'm in a rush. He checks I've eaten before I've gone out the door and he checks in on my day. "He knows the bits I find hard and he'll send a nice little text before I go into it. He's always thinking of me."
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Poll: Should employees be able to work from home?
At the post-Cabinet press conference, the National Party asserted they want public sector staff to return to the office. This has opened a conversation about other sectors in New Zealand who have adopted working from home (WFH).
Where possible, do you think employees should be able to work from home? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments.
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70.3% Yes
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26.7% No
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3% Other - I'll share below
Cost of living relief for parents
More cost-of-living relief kicks in from Tuesday, targeted at parents and caregivers with young kids in childcare.
Family Boost lets eligible families claim back up to 25 per cent of their childcare costs, to a maximum of $975 every three months. The first quarterly payments can start being claimed from October 1.
We know it’s tough for Kiwis right now and National is proud to be delivering relief for childcare costs, on top of the tax relief that started landing in Kiwis’ pockets from the end of July.
So if you or someone you know has young kids in childcare, make sure you check out the IRD website for details about eligibility and how to make a claim.
But we also know the only way we can afford to support Kiwis with the cost of living is by rebuilding the economy – with more opportunities for growth and investment.
That’s why it was so exciting that, after just four months of negotiations, National Party Minister Todd McClay signed the dotted line this week on a new trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
It’s a perfect example of what can be achieved when we go out and hustle on the world stage – unleashing new markets for trade and investment so Kiwis can do the business.
It’s awesome news for farmers and growers – the agreement will scrap duties on 98.5 per cent of our exports to the UAE immediately when it comes into effect: meaning more cash in their pocket, when their product moves offshore.
Federated Farmers summed it up well by saying "This agreement will take millions of dollars that would have been charged in tariffs and pump them directly into our rural communities.”
We promised to work at pace to rebuild our economy and completing New Zealand’s fastest-ever trade agreement negotiations is a great example of how we’re doing exactly that.
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NATIONAL party website
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Auckland School Holiday Events
Are you on school holiday duty? Here's some activities to get out of the house for! Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments below.
Sat, 28 Sept: Wild Robot Wonders at the Sky @ Sky Tower
Sat, 28 Sept: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Sun, 29 Sept: The Block Dance party @ Aotea Square
Mon, 30 Sept: Cornwall Park Trading Cards @ Huia Lodge Discovery Hub
Mon, 30 Sept: Treasure Hunt @ Corban Estate Arts Centre, Henderson
Tues, 1 Oct: Dance-o-Mat @ Aotea Square
Tues 1 Oct: Rainbow Scultpure @ Aotea Square
Tues 1 Oct: Squiggla workshops @ Pah Homestead
Wed, 2 Oct: Night at the Museum: Time Warp @ Auckland Museum
Wed, 2 Oct: Steampunk a hat @ Northcote Library
Wed, 2 Oct: Make a Wind Vane @ Highwic, Epsom
Thurs, 3 Oct: Film: Peter Rabbit @ Uxbridge, Howick
Thurs, 3 Oct: Back to the Future Scavenger Hunt @ Northcote Library
Fri, 4 Oct: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Fri, 4 Oct: The Wonky Donkey Show @ Uxbridge, Howick
Fri, 4 Oct: StarJam performance & games @ Aotea Square
Sat, 5 Oct: Flight Birds Club @ NZ Maritime Museum
Sun, 6 Oct: Make it Loud workshops @ Motat
Mon, 7 Oct: Roving the Red Planet: Robotics session @ Stardome Observatory
Tues, 8 Oct: Theatre: Peter Pan @ ASB Waterfront Theatre
Wed, 9 Oct: Theatre: Mrs Wishy Washy @ The PumpHouse Theatre
Thurs, 10 Oct: Film: Lilo & Stitch @ Uxbridge, Howick
Fri, 11 Oct: Starry Storytime @ Stardome Observatory
Fri, 11 Oct: Wilbur the Big, Not So Bad Wolf @ TAPAC, Western Springs
Sat, 12 Oct: Make butter for fairy bread @ Northcote Library
Sun, 13 Oct: Nature Play @ Myers Park
Sun, 13 Oct: K-Pop Free Dance Party @ Aotea Square
Sun, 13 Oct: Family Games Afternoon @ Mount Roskill Library
Click on your local library to see its upcoming school holiday events:
Albany Village Library, Central City Library, Waiheke Library, Mangere Bridge Library,Warkworth Library, Epsom Library, Botany Library, Highland Park Library, East Coast Bays Library, St Heliers Library, Onehunga LIbrary, Glen Eden Library, Birkenhead Library, Avondale Library, Otahuhu Library, Glenfield Library, Devonport Library, Titirangi Library, Papatoetoe Library, Wellsford Library, Waitakere Central Library, Parnell Library, Manurewa Library, Clendon Library, Takanini Library, Grey Lynn Library, New Lynn Library, Blockhouse Bay Library, Mount Roskill Library. See all Libraries here.
What else is there to do?
Butterfly Creek
Motat
Auckland Zoo
Howick Historical Village
Auckland Art Gallery
Stardome Observatory
Snowplanet
Rainbow's End
Scultptureum
Thrillzone
Kiwi Valley Farm Park
Aotea Square Ice Rink
Got more ideas? Share them below!
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