METRONEWS
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We speak to Jacinda Ardern's backbone

Emma Olsen
Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford
Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford   Facebook

We wanted to know how our Prime Minister stays strong through a situation like COVID-19 so we spoke to her support system.

The Prime Minister's partner Clarke Gayford has been a stay-at-home dad, caring for their daughter Neve while Jacinda runs the country.

Obviously, Clarke is a big part of helping Jacinda be the best she can possibly be so MetroNews wanted to find out what that involved.

Clarke said it had been a bit of a rollercoaster with good days and hard days but thankfully the good outnumbered the bad.

He admitted he needs a haircut and has put the bread maker through a thrashing but when it comes to supporting his partner, what does that entail?

"I'm making sure the house is calm and in as much order as it can be with a toddler and grandparents tearing the place apart.

"I've doubled Neve's daily Peppa Pig allowance and have set up plenty of 'pig-nics' on the lawn when the sun is out."

Through COVID-19, Clarke has learned just how calm Jacinda is under pressure.

"We've been in stressful situations before, but this has rewritten parameters of what stressful means."

Both Jacinda and Clarke have been inspired by seeing how Kiwis pull together when asked.

Clarke said it was important people continued living in the guidelines as normally and safely as possible.

"I want to give reassurance that while this is a marathon, not a sprint, it will not be forever. Also, don't be too hard on yourselves."

When asked what was the most rewarding part of seeing Jacinda at work every day, Clarke said the place she had worked so hard to get New Zealand to.

"A position that is going to enable us to take those next steps to get back to a new normal, whatever shape that might take."

While Jacinda continues to do 'everything' as Clarke describes it, he continues to appreciate the finer things in life - making a fresh batch of bread for when Jacinda arrives home.