James Brendan "Jim" Bolger, ONZ, (born 31 May 1935) was Prime Minister of
New Zealand from 1990 to 1997.
Early life
Bolger was born in Opunake, Taranaki on 31 May 1935 to
immigrant farm workers from Wexford, Ireland. He
left school at age 15 [1].
Member of Parliament
Bolger entered politics in 1972 as the New Zealand National Party member
of Parliament for King Country. 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
succeded. 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.
Prime Minister
-
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.
Foreign policy
In addition, Bolgers' government continued the previous Labour government's
anti-nuclear policy.
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.
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, 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. Bolgers' 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].
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).
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.
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.
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 is a Roman Catholic with nine children and voted pro-life whenever the issue came up in a conscience vote.
External links
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 the Irish Prime Minister, Bolger (who tended to mirror
those he was talking to) embarrassingly spoke in an Irish accent.
See also
References
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