New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed she is pregnant with her first baby. The 37-year-old announced the happy news on Facebook, confirming that she and partner Clarke Gayford will welcome their child in June. She wrote: "Clarke and I are really excited that in June our team will expand from two to three, and that we'll be joining the many parents out there who wear two hats. I'll be prime minister and a mum, and Clarke will be 'first man of fishing' and stay at home dad. I think it's fair to say that this will be a wee one that a village will raise, but we couldn't be more excited."
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© Photo: FacebookJacinda is set to become only the second leader in modern times to give birth in office after Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's prime minister, whose daughter Bakhtawar was born in 1990. She confirmed she will take six weeks of maternity leave following the birth, during which time the deputy prime minister will take over, but added she intended to be "fully contactable" during that time. She also revealed that her "unexpected" pregnancy had been confirmed on 13 October – just six days before she was announced as prime minister.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe happy couple have been inundated with messages of support since the announcement. Bill English, the opposition leader, said: "It is an incredible privilege to be a parent. A new child will bring real joy to their lives. We wish them all the best." Malcolm Turnbull, Australia's prime minister, congratulated his counterpart, adding: "When we spoke this morning you sounded more excited than you did when you won the election."
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Green party leader, James Shaw, said: "That a woman can be the prime minister of New Zealand and choose to have a family while in office says a lot about the kind of country we are and that we can be – modern, progressive, inclusive, and equal. For that reason I know this announcement will be significant for many women, in particular, and that all New Zealanders will share in the prime minister's joy today."
