"You do you" is the most important piece of advice that Jacinda Ardern has for incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
The pair fronted on Tuesday at Rātana pa and while words of thanks and farewells were offered, Ardern was also questioned by media for what words of counsel she had for the nation's leader-elect.
"I couldn't be specific, because there was two hours of reckons," said Ardern, when questioned.
"All of that's for him. You know what, probably the most important advice I gave him was 'you do you'.
"This is for him now to carve out his own space and be his own kind of leader.
"There's no advice I can really impart. I can share information, I can share experiences, but this is now for him."
She was content to witness the rollout of his leadership style in due course and said she would step back from the political spotlight to a degree after her resignation.
"You won't find me commenting on domestic politics. I've had my time. It's now for the new team."
Ardern plans to continue in her role as MP for Mount Albert but was "ready to be a sister and a mum".
Hipkins said today was a bittersweet moment.
"We had an opportunity to spend some time together and reflect. I'm honoured to be taking on the role but it is well known that Jacinda is a very good friend of mine. So it was nice to be able to be here with her."
