Just checking news highlights and saw that NZ's labor party (left side of politics), seven weeks away from their general election, elected Jacinda Ardern their leader in a party room spill this morning (Tuesday Aus and NZ time) so she became the leader of the opposition and could well be the next New Zealand Prime Minister.

She is also an exmo, having left the church in 2005 (25years old) as it conflicted with her political views.

I know a number of countries have had active LDS and exmo's in their parliaments / governments but she may be in with a good chance of actually reaching the highest elected post in the land.

Any NZ exmo's here have any memories of her? I'm across the ditch in Aus so hadn't heard of her until it hit the news today

Very interesting. I know very little about NZ politics, although I would dearly love to live there. If I were a couple years younger and not tied down with family here, I would make a serious attempt to move there and gain citizenship.

But it makes me think about exmo's here in the USA in politics. I can't think of a lot. I believe Sen. Udall from Colorado is one. John Huntsman is Mormon, but I believe he's a Mormon in name only. Marco Rubio was a Mormon as youth, but has self-identified as Catholic for many years and I don't believe he was ever very deep into Mormonisms clutches. That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.

If I know someone is an ex-mormon, I would be inclined to support them politically. Of course, political opinions differ among exmo's as much as any other group of people, but the fact that they left the cult would at least tell me they have an ability to sniff out bullshit and the spine to act on what they learn rather than stick their head in the sand.

This is the first I have heard about the possibility of an exmo becoming Prime Minister in New Zealand!

I know very little about New Zealand (except that a number of former South Africans have emigrated there...so, little squiggles of New Zealand info, from time-to-time, as I read the South African news)...

...but an exmo Prime Minister would be (I believe!) a global first!

Thank you, maxxedout!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2017 12:13PM by Tevai.