Labour's rising star Jacinda Ardern says she is too "selfish" to want to lead the Labour Party – she'd rather have a private life.

In an interview announcing her new role as a Sunday Star-Times columnist, Ardern says people are wasting their time speculating about her as a future leader ... she doesn't want the job.

The latest 3 News-Reid Research Poll has Ardern at 4.2 per cent in the preferred prime minister stakes, fourth behind John Key (38,3 per cent), Andrew Little (10.4 per cent), and Winston Peters (9.3 per cent).

STUFF Clarke Gayford and Jacinda Ardern at the World Press Photo exhibition in Auckland.

Ardern's rise is as rare as it is meteoric for a lower-ranked MP. But it was not enough to secure the deputy leadership – Ardern was recently passed over by leader Andrew Little in favour of parliamentary veteran Annette King.

She is, however, expected to get a big boost when Andrew Little announces his front bench reshuffle on Monday.

Ardern said she never sought the deputy leadership and it was never offered by Little. She also ruled out seeking the top job.



"I don't want to be prime minister ... yes, I have aspirations, but my singular focus is the opportunity to be the minister for children. I've spent a lot of years around child welfare and I want the chance to do something about it. But I don't have to be in charge to deliver on that."



A big part of the reason for her not wanting the job though was "a little chink of selfishness" about wanting to preserve some private life as an MP.



"For me, the job I'm doing I have absolute satisfaction with and I get to have a life at the same time."



Ardern has a high profile compared to most of her colleagues, and is a regular on television and in the gossip mags. She is seen out and about on red carpet with partner Clarke Gayford, a TV and radio host. Like him, she is also a DJ, albeit an amateur one – she has played high-profile sets including one at Laneway Festival in Auckland.

She puts it down to luck that she got those opportunities as a rookie MP, but says having that sort of exposure doesn't make her a natural for the leadership.

"When I first came into Parliament I had that breakfast media slot on TV where I could be myself and sometimes we could chuck in a bit of humour. I was a brand new backbench MP. That is a very different form of engaging with the public than when you're leader having to do a standup with the media every day."

But with the high profile had come some negative labels. The only one that really hurt was when she was referred to as a "show pony", Ardern says.

"I'm going to be really honest, I did wince at that one ... it's one thing for people to get to know you but equally it's really important people see the work you're doing and I think that trivialised my work. I mean, I'll laugh off 'my little pony', but I'd be lying to say that being called a show pony didn't bother me."

Ardern will go head to head with National's Judith Collins in the Sunday Star-Times from this weekend.

Collins says: "Jacinda is doing very well as a career politician and my advice to her is roll with the punches. I am looking forward to our weekly political tussle."

Ardern replaces former Labour leader Phil Goff, who wrote his final column last weekend, to coincide with his announcement that he would run for mayor of Auckland.