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Bill English visiting Auckland University (2016), being protested by the New Zealand Tertiary Education Union’s Love Humanities rally. Photo by 4New Zealand Tertiary Education Union- Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Bill English

Bill English served as New Zealand’s Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister from October 2008 to December 2016, and as Prime Minister until the transition of government in October 2017. He stepped down from politics in March 2018. Bill English led the New Zealand economic growth through the worldwide financial crisis, guiding it to become one of the fastest growing advanced markets with long-term government growth.

1.Bill was responsible for changing many policies to help New Zealand have a better  financial outcome 

Bill English has also focused on policy reforms and general populace capital structure control, as well as leading the creation and execution of Social Investment, a world-leading strategy advancement for broad social facilities. He supervised significant investment in digitalizing government and enhancing public service outcomes and customer experience.

2.Bill English’s first term as a National Party leader was not successful

He was defeated. Remarkable. The Nats have suffered their worst election defeat. And so forth.

However, you may be surprised to learn how long Bill has been in politics. English is about as beltway as you can get for an individual who maintains his southern accent exquisitely fit and has relished an image as “the farmer from Dipton.”

English, in fact, has been engaged in politics for nearly his entire adult life. English moved to Wellington for a Treasury position in 1987 after leading the Young Nats branch in Southland in the 1980s.

This took him away from that iconic mixed crop farm down south, but only for a short time, as he was ultimately chosen to run in a (deep blue) Southland electorate seat, where he won an 8000-strong large percentage in 1990. He’s been in Parliament since then, retiring in 2014 – but that’s another story.

English informed journalist Bill Ralston in a 1991 North and South profile that he wouldn’t be in politics for long.

“I definitely see myself looking down the barrel of retirement. I have young children. The days of someone serving in politics for 25 years are long gone.”

English said this exactly 25 years ago, for those keeping track at home.

2.English’s childhood and upbringing as well as his family background

Bill English and Paula Bennett on the steps of the New Zealand Parliament. Photo by National Party- Wikimedia commons

English is the twelfth of twelve children born to Mervyn and Norah (née O’Brien) English. In 1944, his parents bought Rosedale, a combined sheep and farming in Dipton, Southland, from Mervyn’s bachelor uncle, Vincent English. English was born in Lumsden, a nearby town.

English went to St. Thomas’s School in Winton before boarding at St. Patrick’s College in Upper Hutt, where he rose to the position of head boy. He was a member of the school’s rugby team’s first XV.

English went on to study commerce at the University of Otago, where he lived at Selwyn College, and then English literature at Victoria University of Wellington.

English went back to Dipton after completing his education and was a farmer for a couple of years.

3.Bill has an Undergraduate Degree in English, how ironic

He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago and a Bachelor of Arts from Victoria University of Wellington, both with honours in English Literature. He has also received honorary doctorates in commerce and law from Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Otago.

You might think that someone in their twenties working for the Treasury has a PhD in Economics. While he presumably received excellent grades in English during his Bachelor of Commerce at Otago, his postgraduate studies took him to Victoria in Wellington, where he earned the most Wellington of all degrees – an honours in English.

In a 1997 Listener piece, he informed Jane Clifton that he discovered this “mentally stimulating” – and that it assisted him get his job.

“There was some pressure on Treasury to be all economists, and I had an English degree.”

4.English had some strong opinions in regards to same sex marriage and other social issues

English is considered to be more conservative socially than his forerunner, John Key. He has mentioned his objection to physician-assisted suicide, same-sex civil partnerships, and the decriminalization of prostitution. As Prime Minister, he was staunchly opposed to any “liberalization” of abortion legislation.

English voted against a bill in 2004 that would have established civil unions for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. In 2005, he voted in favor of the Marriage (Gender Clarification) Amendment Bill, which would have changed the Marriage Act to limit marriage to men and women. The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, which legalized same-sex marriage in New Zealand, was defeated by English.

In December 2016, he said, “I’d probably vote differently now on the gay marriage issue, because I don’t think gay marriage is a potential danger to anyone else’s marriage.”

English voted against the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill in 2009, which sought to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act to allow cannabis to be used for therapeutic purposes.

5.He is involved in other organizations away from his political career

On May 17, 2017, Prime Minister Abe held a meeting with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Bill English at the Prime Minister’s Office. Photo by 首相官邸ホームページ- Wikimedia commons

Bill is the Director of Mount Cook Alpine Salmon, as well as the Director of Impact Lab Ltd and Manawanui Support Ltd. In addition, he serves on the boards of the Paul Ramsay Foundation, The Instillery, the Centre for Independent Studies, and The Todd Corporation Limited.

6.Bill was once a keen backbencher and was even in a group known as ‘backbench boys’

English rose quickly through the National Party ranks in the 1990s however, it did not just occur all over sudden.

While English worked to the very last week to secure votes from the prominent “four amigos” group of aspirational male backbenchers, he was once a member of a backbench club identified as “the new young turks” or “backbench boys.”

These coalitions of MPs are frequently more media creations than genuine alliances, but English agreed to be profiled alongside others and take pictures wolfing down McDonald’s.

7.English’s private life and how he met his wife

At university, English met his current wife, Mary Scanlon. At the time, she was studying medicine and aspired to be a general practitioner. Her parents were both immigrants, her father Samoan and her mother Italian, born on the Italian island of Stromboli. They have six children, five sons and one daughter.

English is a devout Roman Catholic however, he has mentioned that he regards his religious beliefs as private and therefore distinct from politics.

English took part in TV3’s Fight For Life in June 2002, a celebrity boxing fundraiser to benefit the Yellow Ribbon anti-youth suicide campaign, which was inspired by the death of a teenage nephew in 1997. Ted Clarke, a former university colleague, defeated him in a controversial decision.

8.A brief overview of some of the government office positions he worked in

On May 17, 2017, Prime Minister Abe held a meeting with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Bill English at the Prime Minister’s Office. Photo by 首相官邸ホームページ- Wikimedia commons

He was appointed as the health minister in Prime Minister James Bolger’s cabinet in 1996, and he additionally worked as treasurer and finance minister (among other positions) before Jennifer Shipley’s government was defeated in 1999.

After succeeding Shipley as National Party leader in 2001, English led the party in the 2002 national election, which was won by the Labour Party and widely known Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Don Brash succeeded English as party leader in 2003, and English worked as his spokesperson on education and the Security Intelligence Service. When Key became party leader, English took over as finance spokesperson.

Just after the National Party’s election victory in 2008, English was appointed minister of finance and deputy prime minister in Key’s government. During Key’s three terms as Prime Minister, the New Zealand economy grew steadily under English’s leadership.

9.His time as a opposition leader from 2017-2018

On October 24, 2017, English was re-elected as National Party leader. English stated his plan to remain as leader until the following general election when he was re-elected. Even so, on 13 February 2018, he resigned as National Party leader because of private reasons, and ordered the party to begin the process of electing a new leader.

He also left the House of Commons. English’s resignation came after weeks of speculation that he would step down to make way for a new leader. As a direct consequence of the leadership election held that day, he was succeeded as party leader by Simon Bridges on February 27.

10.Some of the accolades he received for excellent time in government

English was named a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his 27-year commitment to the country.