New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern‘s latest interview gaining international attention, but not for a good reason.
The politician’s appearance on Australia’s “60 Minutes” program is being slammed online over veteran journalist Charles Wooley’s line of questioning.
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Wooley asked Ardern, who was seated beside her partner Clarke Gayford, several questions about her pregnancy — one of which focused on the child’s conception date.
In an awkward exchange, Wooley asked the 37-year-old leader about their June due date, then inquired about when the conception would have occurred.
“One really important political question that I want to ask you, and that is what exactly is the date that the baby’s due?” the journalist said. “It’s interesting how much people have been counting back to the conception date.”
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The couple, seemingly uncomfortable by the question, warded it off. Ardern answered that it was after the election, and there was no “need to get into those details.”
Wooley also commented that Ardern is the most “attractive” politician he’s ever met and said he was “smitten” by her.
The interview was widely criticized online by social media users who said Wooley’s questions were “sexist” and “not at all relevant.”
While many viewers were upset over the interview, Ardern later told a reporter that she was not fazed.
“It’s fair to say that I couldn’t recall there being anything from the interview that particularly stood out to me,” she said, according to BBC News.
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Her partner, on the other hand, sent a subtle jab to the “60 Minutes” program via Twitter.
“Hey NZ this is you. A perfect place to escape for 60 Minutes or longer where required,” he wrote.
The TV program responded to online criticism in a statement sent to New Zealand news outlets Monday.
“60 Minutes reporters have always asked the tough questions which the public has been wanting to hear, while also showing the human side of these individuals that we rarely get to see,” the statement read.
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This is far from the first time, Ardern, who is the country’s first female leader, has faced sexism or personal questions from the media.
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Ardern faced questions over her family plans during last year’s election campaign. In January, when she announced her pregnancy, several concerns were raised over her ability to balance parenthood and career. Gayford has said that he will be the child’s full-time caregiver.
“I am not the first woman to work and have a baby. I know these are special circumstances but there are many women who have done it well before I have,” Ardern said at the time.
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