Known as "Chippy", the former COVID minister is a close ally of Jacinda Ardern. Hipkins, 44, expected to succeed Ardern as Labour leader on Sunday after no other candidates emerged, faces a stern test upon taking power, with Labour trailing the opposition in opinion polls and the country expected to fall into recession next quarter before a general election on October 14. First elected to parliament in 2008, Hipkins became a household name fronting the government's response to the pandemic. He was appointed health minister in July 2020 before becoming the COVID response minister at the end of the year. Under Ardern's "go hard, go early" approach to COVID, the island nation of 5 million was among the first to close borders. Hipkins, who describes himself as an "outdoor enthusiast" keen on mountain biking, hiking and swimming, studied politics and criminology at Victoria University and then worked in the industry training sector. Before becoming...