Media Insider: Australian public agencies face media heat over A$80,000 taxpayer spending on Jacinda Ardern-headlined women’s leadership summit

Media Insider: Australian public agencies face media heat over A$80,000 taxpayer spending on Jacinda Ardern-headlined women’s leadership summitShayne CurrieNZME Editor-at-Large·NZ Herald·16 Jul, 2026 07:04 PM3 mins to read‌Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern now lives in Sydney. Photo / Mark Mitchell, SuppliedFormer Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern now lives in Sydney. Photo / Mark Mitchell, SuppliedSeveral top Australian public agencies are in the media spotlight for spending about $A80,000 ($96,000) on an upcoming women’s leadership summit headlined by Dame Jacinda Ardern. On its front page today and under the headline ‘Ardern unlimited: taxpayers’ $80k hit’, The Australian reported that five public agencies had paid