Dame Annette King

In the second episode of BroadTalk, Virginia Haussegger chats with a trailblazing Kiwi political warrior, Dame Annette King, about her extraordinary life in politics and managing the leadership spotlight. Dame Annette is New Zealand’s longest-serving female MP and now NZ High Commissioner to Australia.

A long-time mentor to New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern, Annette is renowned for being “incredibly committed”, “totally focused” and yet a whole lot of fun. Her ‘cold stare’ (or what Julia Gillard calls the female “resting bitch face”) is legendary, yet those Kiwis Annette served adore her.

Over three decades in parliament as Minister of various portfolios including Police, Justice, Health, Transport and Deputy Leader of the NZ Labor Party, Annette saw it all. In fact, there is little she didn’t endure, from the heavy drinking of colleagues, sexism and scandal, to accusations she was a closet lesbian, as well as media fascination with her transgender husband. But the funny thing is how much Annette laughs when looking back and marvels at how her life has “just tumbled along!”

BroadTalk is hosted by Virginia Haussegger and produced by Martyn Pearce.

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