London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Transcript of Ardern's offensive comment sells for NZ$100,000

Transcript of Ardern's offensive comment sells for NZ$100,000

A signed copy of a transcript of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern insulting an opposition leader has sold for more than NZ$100,000 ($63,200).
The offensive comment was picked up by microphones following a heated exchange with ACT party leader David Seymour.

Ms Ardern later apologized for the remark before Mr Seymour proposed they join forces to raise money for New Zealand's Prostate Cancer Foundation.

The PM thanked everyone who bid after the charity auction ended on Thursday.

During a lively parliamentary debate last week, Ms Ardern took issue when Mr Seymour, leader of the right-wing libertarian ACT party, asked her to give an example of her "making a mistake, apologising for it properly, and fixing it".

Ms Ardern defended her Labour government's record before sitting down and quietly muttering: "Such an arrogant prick."

The remark was picked up by her microphone and preserved in the official parliamentary record, Hansard, after Mr Seymour asked for an apology.

But the pair, normally at odds with each other politically, decided to turn the affair into something positive. Both signed a copy of a transcript of the official parliamentary record which included the comment before it was framed and auctioned online.

The man who won the charity auction told local media he would have to take a loan out to help pay for the NZ$100,100 (£52,200) winning bid.

Julian Shorten told 1News he was happy with his purchase and said: "This is a moment in New Zealand political history."

In a statement, Mr Seymour said: "The interest was greater than anyone dreamed.

"When I suggested this to her, she immediately agreed," he added. "I have been blown away by the kindness of bidders who are helping pricks everywhere with their generosity."

"Can't say I expected this," Ms Ardern posted on Facebook before thanking Mr Seymour for "being a good sport".

Ms Ardern's Labour Party won a landslide victory in the country's general election in 2020 and the prime minister has enjoyed high approval ratings for much of her two terms in office.

But with New Zealand expected to go to the polls in late 2023, Ms Ardern is coming under increasing pressure. Latest opinion polls have her Labour Party trailing the main opposition National Party.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×