(CNN) New Zealand's new opposition leader said it was "unacceptable" for a professional woman to be questioned on her plans for children, hours after she faced exactly those queries. 
 
 Jacinda Ardern was elected as the new leader of New Zealand's Labour opposition on Tuesday in a unanimous vote, following the resignation of former leader Andrew Little. 
 
 Little quit earlier in the day, according to local media, after taking responsibility for the Labour party's continued poor polling. 
 
 Just hours into her new role as alternative prime minister, Ardern was asked on current affairs show "The Project" about potentially juggling motherhood with her professional responsibilities. 
 
 I feel privileged and honoured to have been elected leader of the Labour Party, and ready for the challenge! Bring on 23 September. 
 
 "A lot of women in New Zealand feel they have to make a choice between having babies and having a career ... is that a choice that you feel you have to make or already made?" host Jesse Mulligan asked Ardern, after admitting some of his colleagues had said he shouldn't raise it. 
 
 Ardern said she had no problems with being asked the question. "My position is no different to the woman who works three jobs, or who might be in a position where they're juggling lots of responsibilities," she said. 
 
 "You've just got to take every day as it comes and see if you can make the best of the lot you're given." 
 
 If you're wondering why the reaction to Jacinda Ardern baby q, it's b/c NZ women have been reminded they're baby makers first and foremost — Frances Cook (@FrancesCook) August 1, 2017 
 
 "I elected to talk about it, it was my choice ... but for other women it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say a woman should have to answer that question in the workplace," she said forcefully. 
 
 "It is a woman's decision about when they choose to have children. It should not predetermine whether they should have a job or be given job opportunities." 
 
 Ardern has previously said she would like to have children, but added it would be hard given the demands of her career. 
 
 #NZ Such questions are a prejudice against Women & prove misogynistic - 
 
 unacceptable. https://t.co/J02YNSwQHZ — WomenAotearoaNZ (@WeavingHouse) August 1, 2017 
 
 A number of New Zealand commentators and social media users condemned questioning a female leader over her plans for children, saying such questions would never be asked of a male politician. 
 
 Online news site stuff.co.nz ran an opinion piece entitled, "No, we don't need to know about Jacinda Ardern's baby plans. Ever." 
 
 "I clearly recall the time (New Zealand prime minister) Bill English was asked how he was going to balance the national books and his hectic home life ... oh wait no I don't because it never happened," Kylie Klein Nixon wrote on their site. 
 
 A now outdated Labour election billboard shows Ardern with former leader Andrew Little, taken on August 2. 
 
 Ardern is not the first female political leader to face questions over her motherhood plans. 
 
 In Australia, former prime minister Julia Gillard was regularly criticized for not having children. One conservative senator said she was "deliberately barren" 
 
 Ardern stepped into the role at a difficult time, just under two months from the next general election on September 23. The Labour party has been out of power since 2008. 
 
 Ardern is only the second female leader of the Labour party. 

 She was responding to a comment by the columnist and former cricketer Mark Richardson, who said earlier in the program that employers had the “right” to know if their female employees planned to have children, adding it was a “legitimate question” for Ms. Ardern if she sought to become prime minister. 
 
 “The question is, is it O.K. for a P.M. to take maternity leave while in office?” Mr. Richardson said. 
 
 Another male host said, “What about this whole question of work, babies, family?” 
 
 Ms. Ardern said that while she was comfortable discussing her plans, no woman should be expected to detail for an employer whether she planned to become pregnant. 
 
 “For other women, it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace,” Ms. Ardern said, pointing her finger at Mr. Richardson. “That is unacceptable.” 
 
 That was the second time in two days that Ms. Ardern was asked about her plans for children. 
 
 On Tuesday night, hours after she was announced as the youngest leader in the history of the country’s Labour Party, she was asked by another male broadcaster if, at her age, she felt she had to make a choice between having babies and having a career. 

 Image copyright AFP Image caption Jacinda Ardern said she had no personal objections to the question but that many women did 
 
 New Zealand's new opposition leader has said it is unacceptable for women in the workplace to be asked about their motherhood plans, after she was quizzed on TV about whether she wanted a child. 
 
 Jacinda Ardern, 37, was elected leader of the Labour party on Tuesday after Andrew Little stepped down. 
 
 Ms Ardern is the youngest person to lead the party and the second woman. 
 
 The questions have sparked a fierce sexism debate in the country, which is due to hold an election in September. 
 
 Prime Minister Bill English said the questioning was not acceptable and that while "some degree of personal intrusion" could be expected in politics, Ms Ardern's plans were "her private business". 
 
 'I've been very open' 
 
 Late on Tuesday, hours into her new job, Ms Ardern appeared on current affairs programme The Project. 
 
 She was asked by the host Jesse Mulligan whether she felt she had to choose between progressing her career and having children. 
 
 "I've got a question and we've been discussing today whether or not I'm allowed to ask it," said Mr Mulligan before proceeding. 
 
 Read more 
 
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 What Julia Gillard did to beat sexism 
 
 Ms Ardern has previously spoken about how wanting a family has made her think carefully about pursuing high level positions. 
 
 She replied: "I have no problem with you asking me that question because I have been very open about discussing that dilemma because I think probably lots of women face it." 
 
 "For me, my position is no different to the woman who works three jobs, or who might be in a position where they are juggling lots of responsibilities." 
 
 'Totally unacceptable' 
 
 However, in a second interview on Wednesday morning, Ms Ardern was again pushed on the subject. 
 
 A host on The AM Show, Mark Richardson, said New Zealanders had the right to know when choosing a prime minister whether that person might take maternity leave. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Ms Ardern said it was a "woman's decision about when they choose to have children" 
 
 "If you are the employer of a company you need to know that type of thing from the woman you are employing… the question is, is it OK for a PM to take maternity leave while in office?" Richardson asked. 
 
 Ms Ardern, visibly angry with the question, said New Zealand women had a right to keep their child-bearing plans private from their employers. 
 
 She pointed out that it was illegal for employers to discriminate against a potential candidate on the grounds of being pregnant or wanting children in the future. 
 
 "It is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace. It is unacceptable, it is unacceptable," she said pointing her finger at Richardson. 
 
 "It is a woman's decision about when they choose to have children and it should not predetermine whether or not they are given a job or have job opportunities." 
 
 The repeated questioning of Ms Ardern on the subject has sparked outrage among many who point out that male politicians are rarely asked their parenthood plans. 
 
 An opinion piece by Michelle Duff for website Stuff.co.nz spoke of the double standard in place. Former Australian PM Julia Gillard's choice not to have children was often used by her political opponents to paint her as unemotional and lacking in empathy, she said. 
 
 The piece concludes the questions are "sexist, stupid, and irrelevant to how well she can do the job". 
 
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– The newest leader of New Zealand's Labour Party says it's "totally unacceptable" for women to be grilled in the workplace over whether or not they plan to have children after she faced similar questioning during multiple interviews in her first two days on the job. The BBC reports 37-year-old Jacinda Ardern was elected leader of the Labour Party on Tuesday, becoming the second woman and youngest person to hold the position. Ardern has in the past talked about how she has to think hard about career choices because of her desire to have children. She addressed the issue again during an interview Tuesday and didn't seem fazed by it, but during a second interview Wednesday she fought back against such questioning. "If you are the employer of a company you need to know that type of thing from the woman," The AM Show host Mark Richardson said during that interview, adding it's a "legitimate question" for Ardern if she plans on becoming prime minister, the New York Times reports. "It is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace," Ardern responded, pointing out that discriminating against potential hires based on pregnancy or plans to become pregnant has been illegal in New Zealand for decades. "It is a woman's decision about when they choose to have children," CNN quotes Ardern as saying. "It should not predetermine whether they should have a job." Richardson's questioning drew scorn from around New Zealand, with both current and past prime ministers condemning it and speaking up for Ardern's right to privacy.