What was claimed
New Zealand Labour said it will appoint Jacinda Ardern as the next governor-general if elected.
Our verdict
False. Labour has not made any such commitment and the claim is based on a fake campaign poster.
AAP FACTCHECK - A fake election poster is being used to spread a false claim that New Zealand’s Labour Party plans to appoint Jacinda Ardern as the country’s next governor-general.
The poster is fake and a New Zealand Labour spokesperson said the party has not made this commitment.
The poster is being shared on social media ahead of the November 7 general election.
It features Labour leader Chris Hipkins and former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern standing next to each other with the text: “I will appoint Dame Jacinda Ardern as NZ's next Governor-General."
There is no record of the New Zealand Labour Party or Chris Hipkins' social media accounts sharing the poster.
“This is fake, and not a Labour commitment,” a NZ Labour spokesperson told AAP FactCheck.
A reverse image search traces the image of Mr Hipkins and Dame Jacinda to an April 20 Facebook post from a page called The Oceanic Press, which frequently posts clickbait news stories.
Google’s SynthID verification tool shows the photo contains an invisible watermark confirming it was made with Google AI.
New Zealand's current Governor-General is Dame Cindy Kiro, a public health academic and advocate.
Her term will end on March 31, 2027, after it was extended to avoid conflict with the 2026 election.
Dame Jacinda and her family relocated to Australia in early 2026 and she purchased a home with her husband Clarke Gayford in Sydney's Northern Beaches in September, Guardian Australia reported.
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