>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A DEDICATED
PUBLIC SERVANT FOR THE PEOPLE OF NEW ZEALAND, AND A RELIABLE RIDE
FROM THE AIRPORT.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," PRIME MINISTER JACINDA
ARDERN!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: WHEN I WAS IN NEW ZEALAND IN 2019, IT WAS ONLY A
FEW MONTHS AFTER THE TERRIBLE GUN VIOLENCE IN CHRISTCHURCH.
AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER, THE NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENT TOOK
ACTION TO REMOVE GUNS FROM THE STREETS.
AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, WE HAVE THE KIND OF GUN VIOLENCE
WE SAU SAW SAUTEED FAR TOO OFTE.
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE-- IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN TO US HOW
YOU DID IT.
WHY NEW ZEALAND WAS ABLE TO DO THAT WHEN WE CAN'T PASS SO MUCH
AS UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF
MENTAL ILLNESS, OR VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, EVEN THOUGH 91% OF
AMERICANS APPROVE OF THAT, WANT THAT, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE.
HOW DID YOU GET THAT DONE?
OR HOW DID YOU NEW ZEALANDERS GET THAT DONE BECAUSE I KNOW IT
WAS GENERAL CONSENSUS.
.>> I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO OUR GENERAL EXPERIENCE IN NEW
ZEALAND, AND WHEN I WATCH FROM AFFAIR AND SEE LIKE TODAY, I SEE
THEM NOT AS A POLITICIAN BUT AS A MOTHER, AND I'M SO SORRY FOR
WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE.
AND THEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO US, AND ALL I CAN
REFLECT IS WE ARE A VERY PRAGMATIC PEOPLE.
WHEN WE SAW SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN, EVERYONE SAID NEVER
AGAIN.
SO THEN IT WAS INCUMBENT ON US AS POLITICIANS TO RESPOND TO
THAT.
NOW, WE HAVE LNL NEEDS FOR GUNS IN OUR COUNTRY FOR THINGS LIKE
PEACE CONTROL AND TO PROTECT OUR BIODIVERSITY.
BUT YOU DON'T NEED A MILITARY-STYLE SEMIAUTOMATIC
WEAPON TO DO THAT.
AND SO WE GOT RID OF THEM.
( APPLAUSE )
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THAT?
HAS THERE-- DOES IT FEEL LIKE A LESS-FREE COUNTRY TO ANYONE DOWN
THERE?
HAS THERE BEEN ANY SORT OF BACKLASH FOR THIS HAVING
HAPPENED?
>> SO WE HAD A BUY-BACK SCHEME.
PEOPLE WHO HAD LEGITIMATELY AND LEGALLY GONE OUT AND PURCHASED
THESE WEAPONS AND WE CHANGED THE LAWS, SO IN FAIRNESS WE SAID WE
WILL BUY THEM BACK AND WE WILL DESTROY THEM.
THAT IS WHAT WE DID.
NOW, WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO.
THERE ARE STILL, OBVIOUSLY, GUNS THAT ARE MISUSED IN NEW ZEALAND,
SO I WON'T SIT HERE AND SAY THAT OUR SYSTEM IS PERFECT.
BUT WE-- WE SAW SOMETHING THAT WASN'T RIGHT, AND WE ACTED ON
IT.
AND I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO THAT EXPERIENCE.
>> Stephen: WELL, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, BESIDES THAT
HOPEFUL EXAMPLE, ANOTHER HOPEFUL EXAMPLE WAS HOW NEW ZEALAND
RESPONDED TO COVID.
AND I WANT TO GET TO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT YOU, YOURSELF, JUST RECOVERED.
>> I DID.
I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAD SIMULTANEOUS INFECTIONS.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
BECAUSE I STARTED APRIL 21.
WHEN WAS YOURS GENERALLY?
>> I GOT COVID FOR MOTHER'S DAY.
>> Stephen: OH, OKAY.
>> YEAH, THAT WAS CLARK'S GIFT TO ME.
>> Stephen: HE HAD IT FIRST?
>> YEAH, HE-- HE TESTED POSITIVE ON MOTHER'S DAY.
AND I SUBSEQUENTLY TESTED POSITIVE.
>> Stephen: THANKS, HONEY, THERE YOU GO.
>> I DON'T RECOMMEND IT AS A GIFT, BY THE WAY.
>> Stephen: YOUR DAUGHTER MADE YOU A MOTHER'S DAY CARD, A
DICTATED TO CLARK, RIGHT?
>> THAT IS A DICTATED CARD.
THAT IS NOT HER OWN WORK.
>> Stephen: MAY I SHOW THIS?
IT SAYS HERE, "MOM, YAY, IT IS MOTHER'S DAY.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.
I LOVE FISHY KISSES.
I LOVE YOU LIKE HOT LAVA.
LOVE.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY LOVELY.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND-- WHAT IS FISHY KISSES?
IS THAT WHEN YOU KISS SOMEONE WITH A MOUTH FULL OF SUSHI?
>> IT'S LIKE REPLICATING THAT ON TELEVISION WOULD WOULD BE A
CAREER-DEFINING MOMENT IN A BAD WAY.
SO -- >> Stephen: POSSIBLY NOT DIG
DIGNIFIED, NOT FIG NIGHED ENOUGH.
>> PERHAPS IF I COULD DEMONSTRATE.
IF YOU PURSE YOUR LIPS AND VERY QUICKLY MAKE QUICK KISSY-- THERE
WE GO.
THANK YOU.
IT'S A FISHY KISS.
>> Stephen: YES.
TIME FOR SMOOCHYS, I BELIEVE WE CALL THAT.
TIME FOR SMOOCHYS.
>> AND EVER SINCE SHE WAS A BABY, IT'S MADE HER GIGGLE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S LOVELY.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE IS THAT NEW
ZEALAND HAS OPENED AGAIN TO OUTSIDERS LIKE US.
HOW-- "A," WHEN DOES THIS START?
AND HOW WAS THIS DECISION MADE IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY?
>> IT IS-- IT HAS STARTED.
>> Stephen: IT CAN HAPPEN NOW.
I CAN LEAVE RIGHT NOW, GO TO J.F.K., AND FLY TO AUCKLAND.
>> YOU COULD FLY TO AUCKLAND AND YOU COULD BE SO WELCOME.
DO YOU NEED A MINUTE FOR ME TO GET BACK THERE AND PICK YOU UP.
I KNOW THAT'S PART OF YOUR RIDE?
>> Stephen: YOU RUINED ME.
>> WE ARE OPENING, AND WELCOMING GUESTS TO NEW ZEALAND IS SO MUCH
A PART OF WHO WE ARE.
HOSPITALITY IS PART OF OUR IDENTITY.
SO, PLEASE, COME BACK AND MAKE US WHOLE AGAIN.
YOU WOULD BE SO WELCOME.
>> Stephen: I WOULD WOULD, I TELL PEOPLE BEFORE, ABSOLUTELY
SHOULD GO.
( APPLAUSE )
RESPONDED TO COVID, AS I SAID, WAS INSPIRATIONAL TO THOSE OF US
WATCHING FROM THE OUTSIDE.
95% OF KI KIWIS ARE VACCINATED .
>> YES, OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION.
>> Stephen: WELL DONE, WELL DONE.
( APPLAUSE )
TRAGEDY, 1,000 NEW ZEALANDERS DIED IN A POPULATION OF FIVE
MILLION.
THAT WOULD BE LIKE THE UNITED STATES LOSING 65,000 PEOPLE
INSTEAD OF ONE MILLION PEOPLE.
AND I'M CURIOUS, WHAT ACTUALLY LED TO THAT MINDSET?
WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAD SUCCESS IN THAT REGARD?
>> NEW ZEALAND HAS-- HAS HAD SEVERAL ADVANTAGES WHEN IT CAME
TO THE PANDEMIC, AND ONE OF THEM WAS WE HAD A LAG TIME SO WE WERE
ABLE TO SEE WHAT IT WAS DOING TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: I SEE.
THAT MAKES SENSE.
>> IT WASN'T A LARGE LAG TIME.
WE STILL HAD TO MAKE VERY QUICK DECISIONS.
BUT OUR VIEW WAS WHILE WE CANNOT HAVE A VACCINE AND THE ONLY WAY
TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND ONE ANOTHER WAS TO USE LOCKDOWNS, WE
DECIDED THAT WE WOULD TRY AND ELIMINATE, JUST GET RID OF
COVID.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
>> Stephen: SO WHEN YOU CLOSED THE BORDERS, HOW LONG ALL
TOGETHER WERE THEY CLOSED TO US?
>> WE BRIEFLY-- FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE PANDEMIC.
>> Stephen: TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
>> WE HAD A BRIEF PERIOD.
PEOPLE COULD COME AND GO.
NEW ZEALANDERS COULD COME AND GO AND USE QUARANTINE.
WE HAD A BRIEF OPENING WITH AUSTRALIA.
BUT, OTHERWISE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE ARE
WELCOMINGESH BACK.
>> Stephen: SO YOU BRIEFLY OPENED AND HAD TO CLOSE AGAIN,
RIGHT?
>> WE DID.
WE DID.
IT GOT A LITTLE COMPLICATED THERE.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> BUT NOW, THIS IS IT.
IT'S OPEN AND EVERYONE'S BACK.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG DID YOU THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE?
BECAUSE WHEN YOU MAKE THAT CALL, THAT'S NOT AN EASY CALL FOR THE
NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT TO MAKE.
"WE'RE GOING TO ABSOLUTELY SHUT DOWN OUR BORDERS."
HOW LONG DID YOU IMAGINE THAT WAS GOING TO BE?
>> INITIALLY IT WAS COUNTRIES BY COUNTRIES.
THE OUTBREAK WAS SPREADING AROUND THE WORLD.
WE WERE PROGRESSIVELY SAYING IT'S HERE NOW AND WE'LL SHUT OFF
TO THERE AND THERE.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY, WE SAID LOOK WHAT WE'RE SEEING OVERSEAS.
WE JUST COULDN'T STAND THE IDEA OF OUR POPULATION BEING
DEVASTATED WHEN WE COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
DID WE THINK IT WOULD BE THAT LONG?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BUT WE KNEW THE MAGNITUDE.
I REMEMBER THAT MEETING AS WE SAT AROUND AND MADE THOSE
DECISIONS.
THEY WERE HUGE.
I FELT REALLY EMOTIONAL AFTER THEM BECAUSE I KNEW THE IMPACT
IT WOULD HAVE.
BUT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
IT SAVED SO MANY LIVES.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
BUT DON'T GO ANYWHERE, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE OF NEW
ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN, EVERYBODY.