But a short while later, around 24 hours after taking the post, the question prompted a discussion on Wednesday morning’s The AM Show about her having a baby if she became prime minister, resulting in co-host Mark Richardson asking if it was “OK for a PM to take maternity leave while in office?”

He prefaced his question with the justification that “she could be the prime minister running this country, she has our best interests at heart, we need to know these things.

“If you are the employer of a company you need to know that type of thing from the woman you are employing because legally, you have to give them maternity leave.”

The sentiment he expressed – that employers (presumably meaning the people of New Zealand if she became prime minister) should know a woman’s baby plans before decided whether to offer her a job – is actually illegal, being discrimination based on sex according to the country’s Human Rights Act of 1993.

Ardern, who had not been on air during the discussion, but was then brought on for an interview, responded angrily.

Female politician grilled on whether she’ll have a baby (just hours into the job)