Danger lurks for Ardern even as her star power dominates New Zealand election

She is wildly popular in the polls but significant risk lies in Labour's decision to pin all their hopes on their leader's profile

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On the lush green grounds of New Zealand's oldest university, prime minister Jacinda Ardern is getting mobbed.

Half a dozen police officers clear a path through the heaving crowd in Dunedin, while her security detail tightly flank Ardern, and look increasingly tense as the crowd gets bigger and more demanding.