New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern says she’ll have to change her mobile phone number after thousands of people bombard her with texts
- The prime minister of New Zealand may be forced to change her mobile number
- Jacinda Ardern doesn’t ever engage with the unsolicited messages she receives
- Her Deputy PM told a room of politicians she has received 50,000 texts this year
The prime minister of New Zealand may be forced to change her mobile number after she revealed she is bombarded by thousands of texts a year.
Jacinda Ardern said she doesn’t ever engage with the unsolicited messages but one in particular has recently landed her in hot water.
Richie Hardcore, a supporter of convicted Czech drug smuggler Karel Sroubek, texted Ms Ardern commending an original decision to grant Sroubek residency in New Zealand despite his previous criminal history.
Critics say Hardcore, mutual friend of the criminal and prime minister, swayed the decision, which was later changed.
Jacinda Ardern (left) and Ritchie Hardcore have known each other for years. Critics say his text may have swayed a legal decision
But Ms Ardern insists she is bombarded by thousands of texts over the course of the year, and never engaged in any response to Mr Hardcore.
‘I’ve had the same number for 10 years so I think it’s probably time I did something about that,’ Ms Ardern told Newstalk ZB.
She also clarified that she was not involved in the decision-making process that initially saw Sroubek granted residency, thus the text from Mr Hardcore had no way of influencing the outcome.
The prime minister of New Zealand may be forced to change her mobile number after she admitted she is bombarded by thousands of texts a year
Jacinda Ardern said she doesn’t ever engage with the unsolicited messages but one in particular has recently landed her in hot water
‘I knew nothing of this case until it was in the public domain so that means I knew nothing of it during the decision making process,’ she said.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters spoke on Ms Ardern’s behalf at the latest Question Time, defending her decision not to share precise text messages with the public.
He said that she’d received thereabout 50,000 text communications in the last year alone.
When asked if that many people had her phone number, he said: ‘About 50,000 have got mine. I think probably about 100,000 have got hers [Ms Ardern’s].’