Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was halfway across the world, walking into a conference building, when she was confronted by a man with a camera.
The exchange lasted just 45 seconds, during which time the man didn’t manage to get any footage other than silence from Ardern – and a stern word from a security guard.
The former PM is no stranger to being confronted by those who disagree with her, having dealt with anti-vaccination crowds following the covid-19 pandemic and a parliament lawn full of disgruntled kiwis.
But why was she being confronted so long after leaving the top office?
Why is she in Canada?
Ardern has made her way to Montréal for the Global Progress Action Summit, where ‘progressive political leaders, policy experts, and changemakers’ from 15 countries are meeting.
The group, which includes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, are set to discuss economic growth, investing in ‘good jobs’ as the world tackles climate change and renewing trust in how democracy delivers results.
The summit is co-hosted by Canada 2020 and the Centre for American Progress.
Who was this guy?
The man behind the camera was Rebel News reporter Lincoln Jay, who was waiting for the PM as she got out of her car on the way into the building.
Rebel News is a far-right political and commentary media website, known for its controversial reporting.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jay said he caught Ardern on her way into the Global Action Summit.
What did they say?
The interaction started well, with a “Hey, how are ya?”, as Ardern made her way onto the footpath.
Jumping immediately to the point the Jay asked: “How much fossil fuels did you burn coming here, to talk about climate change?”.
He’s then interrupted by a security guard, who’s on a smoke break, that tells Jay to leave her alone.
Jay shouts “does that make sense?”, as Ardern disappears into the building.
Robert Kitchin/Stuff
Ardern was faced with protesters many times in her last few months of office (file photo)
What did she do?
The former PM spots Jay as she makes her way onto the footpath, giving him a smile after he said hello.
She doesn’t say anything to him as she makes her way past him, towards the building.
After Jay is intercepted by the security guard, she’s free from having the camera in her face and makes her way into the building.
The interaction doesn’t seem to bother her.
How has Ardern dealt with protesters in the past?
During Ardern’s time as PM, she had to deal with protesters on a number of occasions.
Most notably, she was PM as hundreds of anti-vax people camped out on parliament lawns, following the covid-19 pandemic.
She was confronted frequently from then on at public events she went to, by crowds with similar reckonings.
