Jim Bolger
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| The Right Honourable James Brendan Bolger ONZ |
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| In office 2 November 1990 – 8 December 1997 (7 years) |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor–General | Dame Catherine Tizard Sir Michael Hardie Boys |
| Deputy | Don McKinnon (1990 - 1996) Winston Peters (1996 - 1997) |
| Preceded by | Mike Moore |
| Succeeded by | Jenny Shipley |
| Constituency | King Country; later renamed Taranaki-King Country |
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| In office 26 March 1986 – 2 November 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Jim McLay |
| Succeeded by | Mike Moore |
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| Born | 31 May 1935 Taranaki, New Zealand |
| Political party | National |
| Spouse | Joan Riddell (married in 1963) |
| Children | Nine |
| Profession | Politician, businessman |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ (born 31 May 1935) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997.
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[edit] Early life
Bolger was born in Opunake, Taranaki to emigrants from Gorey, County Wexford, Ireland. He left school at age 15 to work on the family farm.[1].
[edit] Member of Parliament
Bolger entered politics in 1972 as the New Zealand National Party member of Parliament for the King Country electorate. He represented this electorate, which was renamed Taranaki-King Country in 1996, until his retirement in 1998. In 1975 he was made a cabinet minister under Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, serving first as Minister of Fisheries and later as Minister of Agriculture.
After the defeat of National at the 1984 general elections, Bolger and deputy leader Jim McLay challenged Muldoon for the leadership of the party. McLay succeeded. In 1986 Bolger made a second attempt for the party leadership, and unseated Jim McLay as leader. Following an unsuccessful election for National in 1987, National under Bolger went on to win the biggest landslide in New Zealand history in 1990. As a result, Bolger became Prime Minister.
[edit] Prime Minister
[edit] Economic policy
Bolger's government initially continued the economic and social reforms of the previous Labour government, with Finance Minister Ruth Richardson implementing drastic cuts in public spending, particularly in health and welfare. Following the close 1993 general election, Bolger demoted Richardson to the back benches, and appointed Bill Birch, who was seen as more moderate.
[edit] Foreign policy
In addition, Bolger's government continued the previous Labour government's anti-nuclear policy.
[edit] Electoral reform
In spite of his party's opposition, Bolger held a referendum on whether or not New Zealand should change from the British style electoral system of 'first past the post' to one of proportional representation. In 1992, New Zealanders voted to change to the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system. This was confirmed in a binding referendum held at the same time as the 1993 general election, which National won. Bolger had originally proposed a return to a bicameral system, with an elected Senate, but this proposal was dropped in the face of support for electoral reform.
[edit] Republicanism
In 1994 Bolger caused surprise by suggesting that New Zealand should reform is status as a constitutional monarchy and became a republic, as had been suggested in Australia by Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating. Bolger denied that his views relate to his Irish heritage.[2] Bolger's call for a republic was publicly disavowed by three Cabinet ministers (John Carter, John Banks and Simon Upton), and support for a republic remained around one third of the population. Proposals to end the status of the Privy Council as the country's highest court of appeal also failed to gain popular support, however the current Labour government abolished the right of appeal in 2003. Bolger's government also ended the awarding of British honours in 1996, introducing a New Zealand Honours System. At a conference on the "Bolger years" in 2007, Bolger recalled speaking to the Queen about the issue of New Zealand becoming a republic: "I have more than once spoken with Her Majesty about my view that New Zealand would at some point elect its own Head of State, we discussed the matter in a most sensible way and she was in no way surprised or alarmed and neither did she cut my head off."[3]
[edit] MMP politics
In 1996 New Zealand had its first election under MMP, and Bolger became caretaker Prime Minister until a coalition with a majority in parliament could be formed. Both Bolger and Labour leader Helen Clark sought the support of New Zealand First, which held the balance of power in the new House. Its leader, Winston Peters, had left the National Party to form his own party, and opposed many of the free-market reforms implemented by National, and Labour before it. In December of that year a coalition was formed between National and New Zealand First, with Peters being appointed to the new post of Treasurer (senior to the already existing post of Finance Minister, which was given to National's Bill Birch).
[edit] Treaty of Waitangi settlements
Bolgers' government also settled three major claims under the Treaty of Waitangi. Largely due to the work of Bolger's Minister of Justice and Treaty Negotiations, Sir Douglas Graham, the Ngāi Tahu, Waikato-Tainui and fisheries settlements were reached. However, the creation of the so-called "fiscal envelope" of $1 billion for all settlements of claims - an effective limit on what the Crown would pay out in settlements - by the Bolger government was an unpopular move with Māori.
[edit] Resignation
Growing opposition to Bolger's slow pace led Transport Minister Jenny Shipley to stage a caucus coup in 1997. Bolger was out of the country at the time, and when he returned he found that he didn't have enough support in his caucus to remain as party leader and prime minister. He resigned on 8 December, and Shipley became New Zealand's first woman prime minister. He was subsequently made a junior minister in Shipley's government.
[edit] Life after politics
He retired as MP for Taranaki-King Country in 1998, prompting a by-election in that electorate and was subsequently appointed to the position of Ambassador to the United States, at which he served until 2001. On his return to New Zealand, he was appointed Chairman of the state-owned Kiwibank as well as New Zealand Post, both of which he is still chairman of today. He also chairs Express Couriers Ltd, Trustees Executors Ltd, the Gas Company Ltd, the Advisory Board of the World Agricultural Forum, St. Louis, USA, the New Zealand United States Council, and the Board of Directors of the Ian Axford Fellowships in Public Policy. Bolger was made a member of the Order of New Zealand in 1997.
Bolger was elected Chancellor of Waikato University on 14 February 2007, succeeding John Jackman. In April 2007 Bolger revealed at a conference he is suffering from a painful nerve disease called trigeminal neuralgia, a non-life threatening condition.
Bolger and his wife, Joan, are Roman Catholics with nine children. Bolger voted pro-life whenever the issue came up in a conscience vote.
[edit] External links
[edit] Trivia
- Bolger was quasi-affectionately nicknamed "Spud" because of his facial features and Irish ancestry. The Royal New Zealand Air Force nicknamed his Boeing 727 "Spud One". Bolger disliked the "Spud" tag but he answered to it when journalist Bill Ralston addressed him in a press conference, "Yo, Spud".
- During a public appearance with an Irish Prime Minister, Bolger (who tended to mirror those he was talking to) embarrassingly spoke in an Irish accent.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
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[edit] References
- ^ Michael Bassett (December 1997). Jim Bolger biography. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
- ^ Jim Bolger (1998). Bolger: A view from the top - my seven years as Prime Minister. Viking.
- ^ Maggie Tait. Bolger told Queen monarchy's time numbered. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
| Persondata | |
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| NAME | Bolger, James Brendan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bolger, Jim |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Prime Minister of New Zealand, politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 31, 1935 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Taranaki, New Zealand |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
