Labour leader Chris Hipkins has revealed former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has approached him, indicating "that she is intending to be very supportive in the last few days of the campaign".
Dame Jacinda is currently located in Boston, where she is a senior fellow at Harvard University, so it's likely her support will be shown in a video or on some online platform. Hipkins has confirmed she isn't returning to New Zealand to join him on the campaign trail.
Hipkins let loose on The Project on Monday night that Dame Jacinda would be helping out.
“Jacinda already has done a bit of social media stuff and you might see a little bit more from her in the next few days," he said.
He gave more detail at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon
"She is not going to be here in New Zealand. She is over in Boston," he said. "She has contacted me to indicate that she is intending to be very supportive in the last few days of the campaign."
Hipkins wouldn't say how she intends to support him.
When Dame Jacinda announced in April that she was taking on a role at Harvard, she said it was helpful that it would be during the election campaign.
"While I’ll be gone for a semester (helpfully the one that falls during the NZ general election!) I’ll be coming back at the end of the fellowships. After all, New Zealand is home!"
She posted on Instagram last month saying she had voted in New York.
"You’ll all know where my ticks went (two ticks for Chippy and the Labour team every time) but I wanted to add this point - if you’re a Kiwi abroad, please vote."
It was announced last week that she will headline a sustainability event alongside comedian Trevor Noah.
