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Bill English

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For other people with the same name, see William English (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable
Bill English
MP
39th Prime Minister of New Zealand
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 December 2016
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor GeneralPatsy Reddy
DeputyPaula Bennett
Preceded byJohn Key
9th Leader of the National Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 December 2016
DeputyPaula Bennett
Preceded byJohn Key
In office
8 October 2001 – 28 October 2003
DeputyRoger Sowry
Preceded byJenny Shipley
Succeeded byDon Brash
2nd Minister of National Security and Intelligence
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 December 2016
Preceded byJohn Key
17th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office
19 November 2008 – 12 December 2016
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byMichael Cullen
Succeeded byPaula Bennett
39th Minister of Finance
In office
19 November 2008 – 12 December 2016
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byMichael Cullen
Succeeded bySteven Joyce (acting)
In office
31 January 1999 – 22 June 1999
Prime MinisterJenny Shipley
Preceded byBill Birch
Succeeded byBill Birch
Deputy Leader of the National Party
In office
27 November 2006 – 12 December 2016
LeaderJohn Key
Preceded byGerry Brownlee
Succeeded byPaula Bennett
1st Minister of Infrastructure
In office
19 November 2008 – 13 December 2011
Prime MinisterJohn Key
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
29th Leader of the Opposition
In office
8 October 2001 – 28 October 2003
DeputyRoger Sowry
Preceded byJenny Shipley
Succeeded byDon Brash
3rd Treasurer of New Zealand
In office
22 June 1999 – 5 December 1999
Prime MinisterJenny Shipley
Preceded byBill Birch
Succeeded byMichael Cullen
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Clutha-Southland
In office
12 October 1996 – 20 September 2014
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byTodd Barclay
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Wallace
In office
27 October 1990 – 12 October 1996
Preceded byDerek Angus
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born
Simon William English

(1961-12-30) 30 December 1961 (age 62)
Lumsden, New Zealand
Political partyNational
SpouseMary English
Children6
Alma materUniversity of Otago
Victoria University
WebsiteOfficial website

Simon William "Bill" English (born 30 December 1961) is the Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the National Party, having taken office on 12 December 2016. He was previously Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 to 2016.

A farmer and public servant before entering politics, English was elected to parliament in 1990 as the National Party's candidate in the Wallace electorate. He was elevated to cabinet in 1996 and in 1999 was made Minister of Finance, although he served for less than a year due to his party's loss at the 1999 general election. In October 2001, English replaced Jenny Shipley as the leader of the National Party (and consequently as leader of the opposition). The party lost the 2002 general election, and in October 2003 he was replaced as leader by Don Brash. In November 2006, after Don Brash's resignation, English became deputy leader under John Key.

After National's victory at the 2008 general election, English became Deputy Prime Minister and was also made Minister for Finance for a second time. He became a list-only MP after retiring as an electorate MP at the 2014 general election. In December 2016, John Key announced his intention to resign as prime minister. He endorsed English as his replacement, and English won the resulting leadership election unopposed.

Early life

English is the second-youngest of 12 children of Mervyn and Norah English. His parents owned Rosedale, a mixed sheep and cropping farm in Dipton, a small town in the Southland region.[1][2] English was born in the nearby town of Lumsden.[3] He attended a local Roman Catholic primary school and then was a boarding student at St. Patrick's College, Silverstream in Wellington, where he became Head Boy. He later gained degrees in commerce (at the University of Otago, where he was a resident at Selwyn College) and in English literature (at Victoria University of Wellington). After completing his university studies, he returned home to Dipton to work as a farmer. In 1987 he moved to Wellington to work as a policy analyst in the New Zealand Treasury, returning to Dipton two years later.[citation needed]

Early political career

English joined the National Party in 1980 and served in administrative capacities for party branches both in Southland and in Wellington. In 1990 he stood as the National candidate in Wallace, the Southland electorate that encompassed Dipton, and won. Following the 1996 boundary changes with the introduction of MMP, English was re-elected as MP for the Clutha-Southland electorate. English held that seat until retiring as an electorate MP and becoming a list MP in 2014. [4]

First period in cabinet (1996–1999)

In early 1996, English was elevated to cabinet by Prime Minister Jim Bolger, becoming the Minister for Crown Health Enterprises and Associate Minister of Education (to Wyatt Creech). He was 34 at the time, becoming the cabinet's youngest member.[5] In cabinet, English was responsible for Crown Health Enterprises, publicly owned healthcare providers established by the National Party's reforms of the public health service with the aim of fostering an internal competitive market. As Associate Minister of Education, he started the process of introducing the NCEA to high schools.[citation needed]

After the 1996 general election, the National Party was forced into a coalition with New Zealand First in order to retain government. In the resulting cabinet reshuffle, English emerged as Minister of Health. However, as a condition of the coalition agreement, NZ First's Neil Kirton (a first-term MP) was made Associate Minister of Health, effectively becoming English's deputy. This arrangement was described in the press as a "shotgun marriage", and there were frequent differences of opinion between the two ministers.[6][7]

After the coalition between National and the smaller New Zealand First party collapsed in August 1998, the position of Treasurer (senior to that of Finance Minister and created especially for New Zealand First leader Winston Peters) became vacant. The former Finance Minister, Bill Birch, gained promotion to the position Peters had vacated, leaving the Minister of Finance portfolio free. English took up this role. Later that year, Birch and English swapped positions, with English becoming Treasurer and Birch becoming Minister of Finance again.[citation needed]

Opposition (1999–2008)

Leader of the Opposition

After the National Party lost the 1999 election to Helen Clark's Labour Party, English remained as National's spokesperson for financial matters. In October 2001, dissatisfaction with party leader Jenny Shipley had failed to abate, and English secured the backing of a majority of National Party MPs. English replaced Shipley as head of the National Party and thus as Leader of the Opposition.[citation needed]

However, English failed to improve the party's performance. In the 2002 elections, National suffered its worst electoral defeat ever, gaining barely more than twenty percent of the vote. Both party insiders and the general public were split as to how much to blame English for this loss, but most of the party believed that English would be able to rebuild National's support.[citation needed]

By late 2003, however, National's performance in opinion polls remained poor. The party had briefly increased its popularity in the year following the election, but by October its support had fallen to levels only slightly better than what it achieved in the last ballot. English also appeared in a boxing match for a charity against entertainer Ted Clarke. This "stunt" did not boost his polling or that of the National party either, with suggestions that it devalued his image as a serious politician. Don Brash, former governor of the Reserve Bank and a relative newcomer to politics, began to build up support to replace English. On 28 October, Brash gained sufficient backing in Caucus to replace English as leader.[8]

Shadow minister and deputy leader

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1990–1993 43rd Wallace National
1993–1996 44th Wallace National
1996–1999 45th Clutha-Southland 9 National
1999–2002 46th Clutha-Southland 4 National
2002–2005 47th Clutha-Southland 1 National
2005–2008 48th Clutha-Southland 4 National
2008–2011 49th Clutha-Southland 2 National
2011–2014 50th Clutha-Southland 2 National
2014–present 51st List 2 National

On 2 November 2003, when Brash announced changes in responsibilities for certain MPs, English became National's spokesman for education, ranked at fifth place in the party's parliamentary hierarchy. He remained in parliament after the 2005 election. In his new shadow education portfolio, English performed strongly, and remained a party favourite despite his election defeat as leader in 2002, as indicated by his subsequent appointment as Deputy Leader of the Opposition and spokesman for Finance and Revenue.[citation needed]

After the resignation of Don Brash, English aspired to Deputy Leader Gerry Brownlee's deputy leadership. On 26 November 2006 Brownlee announced that he was stepping aside and English was predicted to take over the deputy leadership and also the finance portfolio. This was confirmed the next day following a caucus meeting.[9]

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (2008–2016)

English (left) at a 2011 Anzac Day service in Wellington, standing alongside Sir Anand Satyanand (centre), the Governor-General of New Zealand at the time.

At the 2008 election, English continued to hold his seat, winning by a margin of about 15,500 votes.[10] He became Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Minister of Finance[11] in the Fifth National Government, being sworn into office on 19 November 2008. He was also made Minister of Infrastructure, an entirely new position,[11] although he held that title for only a single term of parliament.[12] English announced in November 2013 that he would retire as an electorate MP at the 2014 general election, and contested the election as a party-list candidate only.[13][14]

The pairing of Key as leader of the National Party and English as his deputy has been compared to that of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating (in Australia) and Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (in the UK).[15]

Prime Minister (2016–present)

On 5 December 2016, John Key announced he would resign on 12 December, and endorsed English as his successor in the resulting leadership election.[16] English announced that he would be in the running on 6 December 2016.[17][18] Following the dropout of both Judith Collins and Jonathan Coleman from the leadership election, he was sworn in as the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand on 12 December 2016.[19]

Controversies

Leaked tapes

Two tapes were covertly made of conversations with English at the National Party conference in August 2008, and subsequently leaked by Kees Keizer[20] to the media. The first indicated that English would like to eventually sell Kiwibank. The second, released to the media on 4 November 2008, just before the New Zealand election, gave English's views on Barack Obama. He is heard on the tape saying: "I'm a bit worried about this whole Obama and Europe thing, just because there's a limited effectiveness in being moralistic about international relations and Europe has turned out to be particularly ineffective even in its own backyard." "And the US can argue over-do it (sic) and Bush should have put a different window dressing – there still needs someone willing to pull the trigger."[21]

Living allowances

In 2009, the media, including TVNZ and TV3 revealed that English was receiving about NZ$900 a week as part of a living allowance for ministers, to live in his own NZ$1.2 million Wellington home. At the time, English also received $276,200 in his annual salary as Deputy Prime Minister.[22][23] It was also revealed other ministers with homes in the capital city were also claiming accommodation allowances.[24] On Monday 3 August 2009, Prime Minister John Key announced a review of the housing allowances claimed by cabinet ministers.[25] The Prime Minister also stated that English was only claiming what he was entitled to under current ministerial housing allowances.

English subsequently announced he would pay back $12,000 and only claim about $24,000 a year in living allowances.[26] The Auditor-General's office said in September 2009 that they were making "preliminary enquiries" into parliamentary housing expenses in response to a letter of complaint from Progressive party leader Jim Anderton.[27] Two days later English announced that he would no longer take up any housing allowance and had paid back all the allowance he had received since the November 2008 election.[28]

Political views

English has been described as having socially conservative views. He is opposed to abortion,[29] although as Health Minister in 1997 he said that he believed the debate over the legality of abortion in New Zealand was settled, and government should instead concentrate on providing "services that are more effective in reducing the numbers of abortion".[30] English has also stated his opposition to voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide,[31][32] civil unions,[33] and the decriminalisation of prostitution.[34]

In 2004, English voted against Civil Union Bill.[35] In 2005, English voted for the Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill 2005, a bill which would have amended the Marriage Act to define marriage as only between a man and a woman.[36] English voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.[37] In December 2016 English pulled a u-turn and said "I'd probably vote differently now on the gay marriage issue, I don't think that gay marriage is a threat to anyone else's marriage".[38]

In 2009, English voted against the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill, a bill aimed at amending the Misuse of Drugs Act so that cannabis could be used for medical purposes.[39]

Personal life

English met his future wife, Mary Scanlon, at university. She was studying medicine at the time, and became a general practitioner. Both her parents were immigrants, her father being Samoan and her mother Italian, born on the island of Stromboli. The couple have six children together.[40]

English is an active Roman Catholic, but has stated that he considers his religious beliefs personal and thus separate from politics.[41][42]

In June 2002, English took part in TV3's Fight For Life, a celebrity boxing fundraiser, but lost to entertainer Ted Clarke. He was raising money for the Yellow Ribbon anti-youth-suicide campaign, influenced by the death of a teenage nephew in 1997.[43]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10517639 retrieved on 12 December 2016.
  2. ^ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/carroll-du-chateau/news/article.cfm?a_id=69&objectid=232498 retrieved on 12 December 2016
  3. ^ Temple, Philip (1994). Temple’s Guide to the 44th New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: McIndoe Publishers. p. 62. ISBN 0-86868-159-8.
  4. ^ https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/document/51MP321/english-bill retrieved on 12 December 2016.
  5. ^ Bernard Orsman, "Rapid rise for English", The New Zealand Herald, 1 March 1996. Retrieved from Factiva, 12 December 2016.
  6. ^ Victoria Main, "All's fair in love and health", The Dominion, 20 May 1997. Retrieved from Factiva, 12 December 2016.
  7. ^ Brent Edwards, "Villain or hero, he won't give ground", The Evening Post, 23 July 1997. Retrieved from Factiva, 12 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Don Brash is the new leader of the National Party". The New Zealand Herald. 28 October 2003. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  9. ^ Tait, Maggie (27 September 2006). "English back from the cold". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  10. ^ "Election Results 2008: Official Count Results – Clutha-Southland".
  11. ^ a b "Appointment of Ministers" (21 November 2008) 179 New Zealand Gazette 4634.
  12. ^ "Resignation of Ministers" (14 December 2011) 193 New Zealand Gazette 5650.
  13. ^ Bennett, Adam (1 November 2013). "English to give up Clutha-Southland seat". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  14. ^ "Life after Bill". The Southland Times. 10 January 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  15. ^ "John Key resignation: Meet Bill English, the likely next Prime Minister of New Zealand", ABC News, 5 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  16. ^ "John Key resigns as Prime Minister of New Zealand, cites family issues for leaving". The New Zealand Herald. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  17. ^ "Bill English: Why I'm standing for Prime Minister". The New Zealand Herald. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  18. ^ "The race for Prime Minister gets crowded – It's Bill English, Jonathan Coleman and now Judith Collins". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  19. ^ "The race to be PM: how it happened".
  20. ^ "Voters should disregard secret tapes – Key". Fairfax New Zealand. 6 November 2008.
  21. ^ "English criticises Obama in latest tape". Fairfax New Zealand. 4 November 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Campbell, Scott (1 August 2009). "Bill English defends allowance for Wellington home". TV3. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  23. ^ Young, Audrey (3 August 2009). "Key backs $900-a-week subsidy for English home". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  24. ^ "Housing allowances review to be launched". TVNZ. 3 August 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  25. ^ "Ministerial housing rules to be reviewed". Radio New Zealand. 3 August 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  26. ^ Young, Audrey (6 August 2009). "English to cut house claims by half". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  27. ^ "Auditors look into Bill English's Housing allowances". The Dominion Post. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  28. ^ "Bill English gives up housing allowance". The Dominion Post. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  29. ^ Laugesen, Ruth (4 September 2004). "Abortion: is the argument over?". Sunday Star-Times.
  30. ^ "Research into high abortion rate needed – MP", New Zealand Press Association, 16 December 1997. Retrieved from Factiva, 12 December 2016.
  31. ^ Euthanasia bill dies in NZ Parliament, Australasian Bioethics Information, 86, 1 August 2003.
  32. ^ Death with Dignity Bill – First Reading, Hansard, New Zealand House of Representatives, 30 July 2003
  33. ^ Claridge, Anna (25 April 2006). "Civil unions 'waste of time'". The Press.
  34. ^ Luke, Peter; Wellwood, Elinore (13 October 2001). "The politician". The Southland Times.
  35. ^ Civil Unions Act
  36. ^ "Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill – First Reading". New Zealand Parliament. 7 December 2005. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  37. ^ "Gay marriage: How MPs voted". NZ Herald. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  38. ^ "Bill English changes view on gay marriage". Newshub. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  39. ^ "Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill — First Reading". Hansard. 655. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand House of Representatives: 4850. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  40. ^ "The English Doctor", The New Zealand Herald, 7 December 2001. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  41. ^ James, Colin (2 December 2006). "Bill English conservative: a 2000s update". New Zealand Herald Weekend Review. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. English doesn't talk easily about his faith. It is personal and the personal and the political are separate, he says. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  42. ^ "Church has vital place in our secular society". Challenge Weekly 66 (6). 25 February 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2009. The National Party's deputy leader, Bill English, believes the Church still has an important role to play in society and politics. An active Catholic, he spoke to JOHN McNEIL about the way that role has changed in the past decade, where religion fits in the public square today, and what part his own faith plays in his life as a politician. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  43. ^ "Bill English goes back to rolling with the punches". The New Zealand Herald]]. 8 June 2002. Retrieved 20 September 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill English.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Wallace
1990–1996 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Clutha-Southland
1996–2014 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Health
1996–1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Finance
1999 		Succeeded by
Treasurer of New Zealand
1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition
2001–2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
2008–2016 		Succeeded by
Minister of Finance
2008–2016 		Succeeded by
New office Minister of Infrastructure
2008–2011 		Position abolished
Minister for the Housing New Zealand Corporation
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
TBD
Preceded by Prime Minister of New Zealand
2016–present 		Incumbent
Minister of National Security and Intelligence
2016–present
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the National Party
2001–2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the National Party
2006–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the National Party
2016–present 		Incumbent
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