Results for Jim Bolger
On this page:
 
Political Biography:

James Brendan Bolger

(b. Opunake, 31 May 1935) New Zealand; Prime Minister 1990 – 97, Minister in Charge Security Intelligence Service 1990 – Bolger, a farmer by background, left school at 15. He has said that as a practising Christian, having grown up in a strong Catholic household, the social teaching of the church has been very important in shaping his views on issues with an emphasis on fairness and equity.

A minister in the Muldoon government and leader of the Opposition since 1968, he took office as Prime Minister on 28 October 1990, the day after the National Party's landslide win in the elections of 27 October 1990. Heavy spending cuts in health, education, housing, and defence were announced by his Finance Minister, Ruth Richardson, in the first mini-budget handed down in December. On 1 April 1991, cutbacks to social security came into force with unemployment and sickness benefits reduced. On the same day the radical Employment Contracts Act, which allowed employees to make their own contracts with employers and abolished the right of unions to negotiate employee wages and conditions, was publicly announced. Widespread strikes followed with protesters clashing violently with police.

In July the 1991/2 national budget announced significant cuts to social welfare, most notably in health, education, housing, and pensions, affecting nearly half of New Zealand's population and effectively ending what prior to 1991 had been one of the most comprehensive welfare systems in the world. When the vote on the budget was put four government members crossed the floor. In August two National Party members resigned to become independents in protest against the budget cuts. In October the Minister for Maori Affairs, Winston Peters, a very popular politician, was sacked from Cabinet for his continuing criticism of the government. In December Bolger recorded a 5.5 per cent popularity rating, making him the most unpopular Prime Minister ever and earning him the title of "Mr 5 per cent". Despite these unpromising beginnings the Bolger government went on to win the 1993 elections, albeit with a majority of one. At the same time as the elections the Mixed Member Proportional voting system, based on the German system, was approved by 54 per cent of the voters in a referendum. With the next elections due in October 1996 it was announced that a three-party coalition governed New Zealand consisting of the dominant National Party, the United Party, and the one-seat Christian Democrat Party.

 
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Bolger, James
(bōl'jər) , 1935–, New Zealand political leader. A sheep rancher, he entered Parliament in 1972 as a member of the National party. In Robert Muldoon's government, he served as minister of fisheries (1977–78), immigration (1978–81), and labour (1978–84). His party fell out of power after 1984 and in 1986 he became opposition leader. In 1990, he became prime minister after securing a landslide victory for his party; the National party was narrowly returned to power in 1993. Bolger was ousted as party leader and prime minister by Jenny Shipley in 1997.
 
Wikipedia: Jim Bolger
Rt. Hon. Jim Bolger

In office
2 November 1990 – 8 December 1997
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, Taranaki-King Country

In office
26 March 1986 – 2 November 1990
Preceded by Jim McLay
Succeeded by Mike Moore

Born 31 May 1935 (1935--) (age 72)
Taranaki, Flag of New Zealand New Zealand
Political party National
Spouse Joan Riddell (Married 1963)
Children Nine
Profession Farmer
Religion Roman Catholic

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


 
NZ Coat of Arms
Preceded by: Mike Moore (1990-1997) Succeeded by: Jenny Shipley
Sewell | Fox | Stafford | Domett | Whitaker | Weld | Waterhouse | Vogel | Pollen | Atkinson | Grey | Hall | Stout | Ballance | Seddon | Hall-Jones | Ward | Mackenzie | Massey | Bell | Coates | Forbes | Savage | Fraser | Holland | Nash | Holyoake | Marshall | Kirk | Rowling | Muldoon | Lange | Palmer | Moore | Bolger | Shipley | Clark

References

  1. ^ Michael Bassett (December 1997). Jim Bolger biography. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
  2. ^ Jim Bolger (1998). Bolger: A view from the top - my seven years as Prime Minister. Viking. 
  3. ^ Maggie Tait. Bolger told Queen monarchy's time numbered. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.


Persondata
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

 
Best of the Web: Jim Bolger

Some good "Jim Bolger" pages on the web:


Baseball Library
www.baseballlibrary.com
 
 
 

Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "Jim Bolger" at WikiAnswers.

 

Copyrights:

Political Biography. A Dictionary of Political Biography. Copyright © 1998, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jim Bolger" Read more

Search for answers directly from your browser with the FREE Answers.com Toolbar!  
Click here to download now. 

Get Answers your way! Check out all our free tools and products.

On this page:   E-mail   print Print  Link  

 

Keep Reading

Mentioned In: