ISSUE
Friday, May 9, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 58
New Zealand now has a new Prime Minister—Bill English, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. He is also the new leader of the National Party.
As he replaces the outgoing PM John Key, his position is being filled by Paula Bennett, MP for Upper Harbour, as the Deputy Prime Minister and deputy leader of National Party.
Let's take a look at a brief history of country's new leader and get to know them more.
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Full name
Simon William “Bill” English
Born
December 30, 1961 in Southland, New Zealand
Education
Degree in commerce from University of Otago
Degree in English literature from Victoria University of Wellington
Career
Worked as a farmer in Dipton
Policy analyst in the New Zealand treasure
Politics
Joined National Party in 1980
Won Wallace seat in 1990 and continued the winning spree from the electorate for seven subsequent general elections.
Portfolios
1996: Responsible for Crown Health Enterprises and Associate Minister of Educations
1996-1999: Minister of Health after reshuffling of cabinet in late 1996
Minister of Finance (In 1998, the portfolio was vacated by the former Finance Minister Bill Birch. Later that year Mr Birch and Mr English swapped portfolios and Mr English then became treasurer and Birch becoming Minister of Finance again.)
1999-2008: Leader of opposition
2008-2016: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
December 2016- current: Prime Minister
Controversies
In 2008, two tapes were leaked in one of which Mr English was indicating his intention to sell KiwiBank and his views on Barack Obama in the other one.
In 2009, media revealed that Mr English was getting $900 per week as part of living allowance for ministers while living in his own $1.2 million house in Wellington and receiving annual salary of $276, 200. After a review by then PM John Key, Mr English announced that he will no longer take up any housing allowance and had paid back all the allowance he had received so far.
MP for Upper Harbour
Full name
Paula Lee Bennett
Born
1969 in Wellington, New Zealand
Education
Taupo-nui-aTia College in Raupo
Bachelor of Arts from Massey University
Career
Worked first as a dishwasher and then as a nurse aide in an Auckland rest home.
Worked as electorate secretary for National MP Murray McCully
Worked as recruitment consultant
Politics
Stood for and lost Waitakere seat for National Party in 2005 general elections but entered Parliament as the List MP.
Won Waitakere seat in 2008 elections
Portfolios
2008: Minister of Social Development and Employment, Minister for Disability Issues, and Minister of Youth Affairs.
2009: Minister of Social Development and Employment
Controversies
Paula Bennett gave birth to a daughter at the age of 17 and raised her alone with the help of welfare funding from the government.
In July 2009, she released the benefit details of two beneficiaries, breaching the Privacy Act and upon investigation the Human Right Commission announced the resolution against her.
In November 2012, Bennett was wrongly claimed the job numbers available at various stores in New Zealand, at the time when the unemployment was reported at 7.3 percent— 1 13-year-high. The said stores refuted the claims made by Bennet.