Calls for Jacinda Ardern to be OUR PM as experts reveal what Morrison and ...

Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten should look to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for lessons on leadership, an expert has claimed.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has impressed many international onlookers with her handling of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

White supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 28, allegedly shot and killed 50 people at two mosques in the city on Friday, injuring dozens more in the worst terrorist attack to ever hit the usually-peaceful nation.

Ms Ardern, 38, donned a hijab as she embraced those mourning the loss of loved ones, and was swift to call for New Zealand's lax gun laws to be strengthened in the wake of the attack.

Dr Paul Williams, senior lecturer at Griffith University, said Australian Prime Minister Mr Morrison and Opposition Leader Mr Shorten should take a page out of Ms Ardern's book.

'The polls say that most Australian voters don't see Shorten or Morrison as terribly inspiring leaders. We're not looking at Bob Hawke or John Howard here,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Dr Williams said Ms Ardern's response to the shootings seemed to be '100 per cent' genuine.

'For a long time in Australian politics, we've seen leaders role playing,' he said.

'Ardern seems to be 100 per cent authentic - our leaders don't appear to be as authentic.

'So much of public policy [in Australia] is done through cost management analysis - will this get or lose me votes.'

Dr Williams said Ms Ardern's empathetic response to the shootings was impressive.

'To be genuinely, 100 per cent empathetic is very important. Voters want leaders who are like them,' he said.

'That's been demonstrated in [Ms Ardern's] warm embrace of Muslims, but also in her wearing the hijab, which was a genuine signal that ''we're all in this together''.

'Her harshest critics would see it as grandstanding but most people would've seen it as a genuine connection.'

Ms Ardern has shown her humility throughout the days following the attack by focusing on the plight of the victims and a nation in mourning, Dr Williams said.

'She's a very humble woman. She seemed tickled pink that a student during a school visit would ask her how she was doing,' he said.

'She said she was sad but she moved on quickly to talk about others.

'She's obviously under stress... we don't like our politicians to be too polished.'

Dr Williams said voters were initially impressed by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd when he spoke without pausing or stumbling over his words, but the electorate eventually came to see it as unrelatable.

'We like people who are just like us, but are a bit better than us,' Dr Williams said.

He said Ms Ardern's gender did not play a major role in how she was perceived.

'She didn't do anything that a man couldn't do - but underneath that there are gender and cultural stereotypes that women are more caring,' he said.

Her lack of self-interest - 'the big killer in Australian politics' according to Dr Williams - also stood out.

'She's been measured. It could be easy to overreach... by being too emotional,' he said.

'A lot of sexist people think that a woman can't be a strong leader - but here's proof that they can. She's a natural leader.'

Dr Williams said her decision to not name the alleged gunman was 'absolutely' the right one.

'He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless,' Ms Ardern said in an address to parliament in Wellington on Tuesday.

Dr Stewart Jackson from the University of Sydney said Ms Ardern's 'statements and presence' were qualities that should be matched by Australian politicians.

'She's shown honesty, grace... and renounced the politics of hate. Our politicians get themselves in knots trying to blame others,' he said.