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Jenny Shipley

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Article Genealogy
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Jenny Shipley
NameJenny Shipley
CaptionShipley in 1999
Office36th Prime Minister of New Zealand
Term start8 December 1997
Term end5 December 1999
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor generalMichael Hardie Boys
PredecessorJim Bolger
SuccessorHelen Clark
Office1Leader of the National Party
Term start18 December 1997
Term end18 October 2001
Deputy1Wyatt Creech
Predecessor1Jim Bolger
Successor1Bill English
Office2Minister of Women's Affairs
Term start22 November 1990
Term end229 November 1993
Primeminister2Jim Bolger
Predecessor2Margaret Shields
Successor2Christine Fletcher
Office3Minister of Social Welfare
Term start32 November 1990
Term end329 November 1993
Primeminister3Jim Bolger
Predecessor3Michael Cullen
Successor3Peter Gresham
Office4Minister of Health
Term start429 November 1993
Term end416 December 1996
Primeminister4Jim Bolger
Predecessor4Bill Birch
Successor4Bill English
Office5Minister of State Services
Term start516 December 1996
Term end58 December 1997
Primeminister5Jim Bolger
Predecessor5Paul East
Successor5Simon Upton
Office6Member of the New Zealand Parliament
Term start615 August 1987
Term end627 July 2002
Predecessor6Merv Wellington
Successor6Jo Goodhew
Constituency6Rakaia (1996–2002), Ashburton (1987–1996)
Birth nameJennifer Mary Robson
Birth date4 February 1952
Birth placeGore, New Zealand
PartyNational (until 2001), Independent (2001–present)
SpouseBurton Shipley, 1973, 2019
Alma materChristchurch College of Education
OccupationTeacher, politician, business director

Jenny Shipley served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999, the first woman to hold the office. Her premiership followed a successful party coup against her predecessor, Jim Bolger, and was defined by the continuation of market-led economic reforms and a contentious coalition with New Zealand First. Her government was defeated at the 1999 election by the Labour Party led by Helen Clark.

Early life and education

Born Jennifer Mary Robson in Gore, she was raised on a farm in the Marlborough Region. She attended Marlborough Girls' College before training as a teacher at the Christchurch College of Education. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a primary school teacher and was active in community organizations, including the Plunket Society and the National Party's women's division, which shaped her early political outlook.

Political career

Elected as the Member of Parliament for Ashburton in 1987, she entered the House of Representatives during the turbulent Fourth Labour Government. Following the National Party's 1990 victory, Jim Bolger appointed her to cabinet, where she served as Minister of Social Welfare and Minister of Women's Affairs. She later held the demanding portfolios of Minister of Health and Minister of State Services, implementing significant reforms in the public service and health sector.

Prime Minister of New Zealand

In December 1997, she successfully challenged Jim Bolger for the leadership of the National Party, becoming Prime Minister. Her administration was a coalition with Winston Peters and New Zealand First, a partnership marked by instability. Key policies included the partial privatization of Wellington International Airport and the introduction of the Community Wage, a work-for-the-dole scheme. Her government signed the Multilateral Agreement on Investment and deployed troops to East Timor as part of the INTERFET mission. The coalition dissolved in August 1998, forcing her to lead a fragile minority government reliant on support from ACT New Zealand and independents.

Post-premiership and later life

After losing the 1999 election to Helen Clark and the Labour Party, she remained Leader of the Opposition until 2001, when she was succeeded by Bill English. She left the National Party caucus later that year and retired from Parliament at the 2002 election. Since then, she has pursued a career in business, serving on the boards of Genesis Energy, Mainfreight, and the Chinese construction company China Construction Bank. She has also been involved in international organizations, including the Club de Madrid.

Personal life

She married Burton Shipley in 1973, and the couple had two children before his death in 2019. Her family life was often kept private during her political career. She has been a member of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and maintains a home in the Selwyn District.

Legacy and honours

Her historic tenure as the first female Prime Minister of New Zealand broke a significant barrier in New Zealand politics, paving the way for Helen Clark and later Jacinda Ardern. Her premiership is often assessed as a transitional period, managing the aftermath of the Rogernomics reforms. In the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, which was redesignated as a Member of the Order of New Zealand in 2009. In 2022, she was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

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