Ulster Assembly Member Praises Kiwi PM
/ROBBIE Butler, a member of the Northern Ireland legislative assembly at Stormont, has praised New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
As an MLA for the Lagan Valley constituency Robbie is familiar with the locally based Ulster New Zealand Trust at The Ballance House, home farm of John Ballance, a Kiwi PM in the 1890s, who ensured NZ women were the first in the world to have the vote.
Writing on Facebook the Ulster Unionist MLA noted he did not agree with all of Jacinda Ardern's policies.
However, the former senior Fire Fighter praised the Prime Minister's key comments about politics. That she is really against this idea that politics has to be a place full of ego and where you are constantly focused on scoring hits against one another. Adding that we need a robust democracy, but you can be strong and you can be kind.
Commenting Robbie Butler said that, “In Northern Ireland we are fed a lie that politics must be combative, nasty, negative, aggressive, unkind, slanderous and critical. A constant race to the bottom. Instead I take a global look and see leaders like Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand.
“Her manner of politicking, her ability to challenge, yet be polite, to disagree without ridicule, to critique without criticising is a wonderful reminder of what can be done and what politics could one day be here”.