Jacinda Ardern's successor struggles to define what a woman is during toe-curling interview

Broadcast reporter Sean Plunket asked Hipkins to “define a woman” on behalf of himself and his government.

Hipkins said: “Um,” before pausing.

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“To be honest Sean, that question has come out of left field for me.”

He then took another long pause before finishing his answer, saying people define their own genders.

He stated: “People define themselves, people define their own genders.”

He was then asked the question again, with a reference to an article written by Sir Keir Starmer on the legal framework for transgender people in British law.

He said: “Keir Starmer has said that he believes 99.9 per cent of women do not have penises, and I know it’s a strange thing for him to say, but given recent events in New Zealand, I’d ask again: How do you define what a woman is?”

Hipkins then explained he was not expecting such a question and therefore did not have a pre-formulated answer ready.

Hipkins was announced as Jacinda Ardern’s successor following her resignation on January 24.

JK Rowling, who has been outspoken on the issue, stated: “In the interests of balance, someone should now ask women how they define Chris Hipkins.”

Hipkins later revealed that he still reads Harry Potter to his children, despite the tweet made by Rowling.

He stood by his answer but the matter of defining gender was “not front of mind”.

He told New Zealand media: “ Ultimately, I’m aware that this is a very emotionally charged issue, and as a leader, I don’t want to contribute to that.”