The former prime minister is heading to the University of Sydney to teach leadership and social cohesion.
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The former prime minister is heading to the University of Sydney to teach leadership and social cohesion. But a sharp reaction from Brian Tamaki shows why her legacy remains deeply contested in New Zealand.
By Webfit News | News Analysis | 27 October 2026
Dame Jacinda Ardern has secured another prestigious international appointment.
From October 2026, the former New Zealand prime minister will join the University of Sydney as a Professor of Practice, sharing her experience of leadership, public health and social cohesion.
For the university, it is an opportunity to learn from a leader who guided New Zealand through extraordinary events.
For Brian Tamaki, it is difficult to accept.
And his reaction reveals something that a university appointment announcement cannot: New Zealand is still arguing about the kind of leadership Ardern represented.
Tamaki’s Reaction: How Can She Teach Social Cohesion?
In a Facebook post responding to the announcement, Tamaki questioned the irony of Ardern teaching Australians about leadership and social cohesion.
“The hypocrisy won’t be lost on Kiwis who lived through COVID,” he wrote.
He argued that vaccine mandates divided workplaces, families and communities, leaving some unvaccinated New Zealanders excluded from parts of everyday life.
He went further, describing Ardern’s leadership as representing “division, not unity”.
His reaction reflects a grievance that has not disappeared simply because the pandemic restrictions have ended.
For people who lost jobs, faced restrictions or experienced family conflict over vaccination, the consequences were personal.
Those experiences deserve to be acknowledged, even by people who supported the public health measures.
But Tamaki’s description of Ardern as the most hated prime minister in New Zealand’s history is an opinion, not an established historical fact.
The Other Side of the Covid Story
Ardern’s government introduced vaccine mandates and restrictions during a public health emergency, arguing they were necessary to protect lives and prevent the health system from being overwhelmed.
Supporters credit her government with taking difficult decisions during a period of considerable uncertainty.
Critics argue some restrictions went too far and caused lasting damage to public trust.
Both the health objectives and the social consequences deserve examination.
The difficult question is not whether the pandemic required leadership.
It is whether New Zealand’s leaders did enough to maintain trust among people who disagreed with their decisions.
Protecting public health and protecting social cohesion should never be treated as completely separate responsibilities.
The Parliament Protest Still Casts a Shadow
Tamaki also pointed to the protests against Covid restrictions outside Parliament.
The 2022 occupation became one of the most visible expressions of anger towards the government’s pandemic policies.
For some participants, it was a protest about mandates and personal freedom.
For others, the occupation raised serious concerns about intimidation, disruption and public safety, particularly as tensions escalated.
The protest ended in violent clashes with police.
Its legacy remains disputed.
Yet the underlying question persists: when a significant section of society loses trust in government, how should political leaders respond?
That question is particularly relevant to Ardern’s new academic role.
Sydney Is Studying Her Leadership. New Zealand Is Still Judging It.
University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Scott has praised Ardern’s combination of empathy and resolve.
The university wants students to learn from her experience navigating complex challenges.
There is nothing unusual about former political leaders entering academic life.
But teaching leadership does not mean every decision a former leader made was correct.
In fact, the most valuable lessons may come from examining what worked, what failed and what could have been handled differently.
If Ardern’s teaching includes the difficult consequences of pandemic policy, students could gain more than they would from studying her successes alone.
And critics such as Tamaki should be prepared to have their own claims tested against evidence.
That is how a serious discussion about leadership should work.
Why the Timing Matters for New Zealand’s Election
Advance voting for New Zealand’s general election has already begun.
Ardern is no longer a candidate, and there is no evidence that her Sydney appointment is intended to influence the election.
But her legacy remains part of the political landscape.
Labour is seeking to return to government under Chris Hipkins, while the governing coalition is asking voters to endorse its record.
The debate about Covid restrictions, personal freedom and public trust remains relevant to how some voters judge political leadership.
Tamaki’s reaction illustrates how quickly an announcement about an academic appointment can revive those arguments.
It also raises a question for today’s political parties.
Have New Zealand’s leaders genuinely rebuilt trust since the pandemic, or have they simply moved on while some communities have not?
That question matters regardless of who wins the election.
Can a Divided Country Learn From Its Past?
Ardern’s international reputation is well established. So is the fact that her leadership remains divisive among New Zealanders.
Both realities can exist together.
Her appointment does not erase the experiences of people who opposed her government’s decisions.
Nor does criticism from Tamaki erase the difficult circumstances in which those decisions were made.
What matters now is whether New Zealand can discuss that period without reducing everyone to heroes and villains.
Ardern has an opportunity to teach future leaders about the pressures of governing through crisis.
Tamaki has highlighted the lasting resentment felt by some of those governed.
The challenge is to examine both experiences seriously.
Perhaps the real lesson in social cohesion is not how to keep everyone happy during a crisis. It is how to rebuild trust with those who believe their government failed them.
And that lesson is just as important in Wellington as it is in Sydney.
Sources: Otago Daily Times, “Ardern to mentor students in new Australia job”, 26 October 2026; Brian Tamaki, public Facebook statement responding to Ardern’s appointment, 27 October 2026.
