The New Zealand government has appointed an indigenous woman to be the next governor-general, which is a position that carries considerable power and influence in New Zealand. The woman will be sworn into office on the day of her inauguration, scheduled for March 9th. Cindy Kiro comes into office in October to replace Dame Patsy Reddy.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her choice for the largely ceremonial role of governor-general: Dame Patsy Reddy will serve as Queen Elizabeth II’s representative.
The British Monarch is the head of state for New Zealand, though they hold no power in this role.
Kiro, a New Zealand indigenous woman, was selected as the new governor-general. Her term will take effect in October, and she will replace Patsy Reddy. Both women received the honorary title of “Dame.”
Kiro, a woman of Maori and British heritage, said her background provides insights into both New Zealand history and the Treaty of Waitangi, which established relationships between Europeans and Indigenous populations in 1839.
Kiro is Auckland’s first indigenous woman to be appointed the next Governor-General of New Zealand. The current only has one child, but previously worked in leadership roles at universities and advocated for children’s rights as Children’s Commissioner.
“Over many decades, Dame Cindy has demonstrated her passion for the wellbeing of children and young people, as well as education and learning,” Ardern said.
Kiro said she grew up in humble circumstances and pursued her career for the sake of service.
When asked if it’s appropriate for the queen to remain New Zealand’s head of state in modern times, Kiro refused to answer.
“Well, clearly, I accept the queen as the head of state of the Commonwealth, and I’m here to support her,” Kiro said, adding that “This is the constitution we have, and I look forward to basically using it to serve the country.”
Ardern said she didn’t think New Zealand urgently wanted change, so it hadn’t been a priority for her government.
