Daily Inspiration Quote by Jenny Shipley

A politician’s favorite balancing act is on full display here: praise that preempts complacency. Shipley starts with “By and large,” a qualifier that quietly narrows accountability. It signals she’s speaking in averages and international rankings, not in the messy particulars where inequality actually lives. The line reassures a national self-image New Zealand likes to wear - progressive, fair, a model in the region - while making it harder for critics to claim the country is failing outright.

Then comes the pivot that does the real work: “But there is still progress to be made.” It’s deliberately unspecific, a phrase that admits imperfection without naming culprits, policies, or deadlines. That vagueness is not a bug; it’s the protective casing around a hard political problem. Naming the gap too precisely (pay equity, domestic violence, reproductive rights, representation, childcare) would force confrontation with institutions that benefit from the status quo, including those inside government and business. “Progress” keeps the conversation in a safe, forward-looking tense, where everyone can agree and no one has to confess.

Context matters: Shipley’s career sits in the era when New Zealand’s “firsts” (early women’s suffrage, women leaders) were already part of national branding, even as structural disparities persisted. The comparison to “many in our own region” subtly positions New Zealand as both morally advanced and strategically distinct - a modern nation among neighbors framed as lagging. It’s diplomacy and domestic messaging in one breath: proud enough to unify, modest enough to promise action, cautious enough to avoid a fight.