Ross Ardern
{{short description|New Zealand police officer and diplomat (born 1954)}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ross Ardern
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| alt =
| caption = Ardern in 2018
| order =
| office = Administrator of Tokelau
| term_start = May 2018
| term_end = June 2022{{fact|date=January 2023}}
| 1blankname = Ulu-o-Tokelau
| 1namedata = Afega Gaualofa
Kerisiano Kalolo
| predecessor = Jonathan Kings
| successor = Don Higgins
| office2 = High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue
| primeminister2 = John Key
Bill English
Jacinda Ardern
| term_start2 = February 2014
| term_end2 = 2018
| predecessor2 = Mark Blumsky
| successor2 = Kirk Yates
| birth_name = David Ross Ardern
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1954|2|28}}{{fact|date=May 2018}}
| birth_place = Te Aroha, New Zealand
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Laurell Ardern
| party =
| relatives = {{ubl|Jacinda Ardern (daughter)|Clarke Gayford (son-in-law)}}
| children = 2
| residence =
| alma_mater = Royal New Zealand Police College
| occupation =
| profession =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
David Ross Ardern (born 28 February 1954) is a New Zealand diplomat and former police officer. He was the Administrator of Tokelau from 2018 to 2022, having previously served as the High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue from 2014 to 2018, and as Niue's police commissioner from 2005 to 2009.
Biography
Ardern joined the New Zealand Police in 1974, initially training at the Royal New Zealand Police College at Trentham, and was one of the police officers who carried out the Dawn Raids on Pacific Island families in the 1970s.{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/prime-minister-jacinda-arderns-policeman-father-carried-out-dawn-raids-as-junior-officer/2VQOHS3CKVQAWV43D5E3LNXWVU/ |title=Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's policeman father carried out Dawn Raids as junior officer |date= 3 August 2021 |publisher=nzherald.co.nz |access-date=3 August 2021}}{{cite web |url=http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/appointment-high-commissioner-niue-great-honour-police |title=Appointment of High Commissioner to Niue a great honour for police |date= 16 October 2013 |publisher=New Zealand Police |access-date=23 March 2014}} In his 40-year police career he spent about 20 years in the Criminal Investigation Branch and five years as Matamata–Piako area sub-commander.{{cite news | title= Pacific position for district's top cop | date=1 June 2005 | work=Piako Post | first=Warwick | last=Rasmussen}}
In 2002 Ardern received a Commissioner's Commendation for his work in the line of duty while investigating a robbery, kidnapping and sexual assault case in 1999.{{cite news | title=Police honoured for their work | date=21 June 2002 | work=Waikato Times | page=19}} He successfully negotiated for three hours with a man armed with a machete.
Ardern was appointed Commissioner of Police for the Pacific island of Niue in 2005 for a two-year term, which was extended to four years.{{cite news | title= Ardern gets the farewell he deserves | date=17 June 2005| work=Piako Post | first=Warwick | last=Rasmussen}} During this time he was chair of the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police for one year. He also served as Niue's director of prisons and director of immigration.{{cite news | title= Pacific island police work a little different | date=5 June 2007 | work=Waikato Times | first=Martin | last=Tiffany | page=4}}
Ardern served as New Zealand Police liaison officer for the South Pacific, based in Samoa, from 2009 to 2013.
In October 2013, Ardern was named by Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully as the next High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue.{{cite news | url=http://www.nznewsuk.co.uk/news/?id=45125&story=McCully-announces-High-Commissioner-to-Niue | title= McCully announces High Commissioner to Niue | date=15 October 2013 | work=New Zealand News UK | access-date=2 August 2014 }} He took up the post in February 2014.{{cite news | title=Ardern heads back to Niue as a diplomat | date=20 November 2013 | work=Waikato Times |page=6}}
On 15 December 2017, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, announced that Ardern would be the next Administrator of Tokelau, from early 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/administrator-tokelau-announced |title= Administrator of Tokelau announced |publisher= Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade |date=15 December 2017}}
Ardern is the father of the former New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.
{{cite news | url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/713812/Youngest-MP-keen-to-get-down-to-work | title=Youngest MP keen to get down to work | date=11 November 2008 | work=Waikato Times | access-date=23 March 2014 }} He is a practising member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). His twin brother, Ian, is a general authority of the LDS Church.{{cite news|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/leader/ian-s-ardern?lang=eng |title=Elder Ian S. Ardern |work=LDS Church |access-date=25 April 2018 }}{{cite web |last1=Ardern |first1=Ian S. |title=Friends & Whānau - new-era |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2017/06/friends-and-whanau?lang=eng |publisher=LDS Church |access-date=21 June 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Jacinda Ardern|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ardern, Ross}}
Category:New Zealand people of English descent
Category:New Zealand Latter Day Saints
Category:New Zealand police officers
Category:Administrators of Tokelau
Category:High commissioners of New Zealand to Niue
Category:Parents of prime ministers of New Zealand
Category:People educated at Royal New Zealand Police College