As of 2019, who is the current Prime Minister of New Zealand?

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern (born 26 July 1980) is a senior New Zealand politician serving as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand, since 26 October 2017.

Ardern has also served as the Leader of the Labour Party since 1 August 2017.

After graduating from the University of Waikato in 2001, Ardern began her career working as a researcher in the office of Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Ardern became a list MP in 2008, a position she held for almost ten years until her election to the Mount Albert electorate in the 2017 by-election, held on 25 February.

She was unanimously elected as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party on 1 March 2017, following the resignation of Annette King. Ardern became Leader of the Labour Party on 1 August 2017, after Andrew Little resigned from the position following a historically low poll result for the party.

She is credited with increasing her party's rating in opinion polls. After negotiations with National and Labour, the New Zealand First party chose to enter into a minority coalition government with Labour, supported by the Greens, with Ardern as Prime Minister.

Ardern's government has focused particularly on the New Zealand housing crisis, child poverty, and social inequality. In March 2019, she led the country through the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings, and her government introduced strict gun laws in response.