Bill English

Politician

New Zealander Lumsden, New Zealand

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Quick Info

ProfessionPolitician
NationalityNew Zealander
Date of Birth30/12/1961
Age64 years
BirthplaceLumsden, New Zealand

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Bio/Wiki

Real NameSimon William "Bill" English
NicknameNot Known
HonorsKNZM (Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit)

Physical Stats & More

Height170 cm
Weight72 kg
Eye ColorBlue
Hair ColorWhite

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolSt Thomas's School in Winton, St. Patrick's College in Upper Hutt
CollegeUniversity of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington
Degrees
  • Degree in Commerce
  • Degree in English Literature
  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Bachelor of Arts with honours in English Literature

Personal Life

Zodiac Sign/Sun SignCapricorn
HometownLumsden
ReligionRoman Catholicism
AddressPremier House, Wellington

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
SpouseMary Scanlon English
Children
Sons
  • Rory English
  • Xavier English
DaughterMaria English
Other Children
  • Luke English
  • Bartholomew English
  • Thomas English

Family

FatherMervyn English
MotherNorah English
Siblings
Brothers
  • Mervyn English
  • Conor English
NoteEnglish has 11 Siblings, most of them are unknown to us.

Career

Political Journey
  • In 1980 English joined the National Party at Victoria University.
  • In 1996, raised to the Cabinet by Prime Minister Jim Bolger.
  • Became Leader of the Opposition in 2001.
  • Became Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand and Minister of Finance in 2008.
  • Sworn in as the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand on 12 December 2016.
  • First elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 as the National Party's candidate in the Wallace electorate.
  • Briefly served as Minister of Finance in 1999 under Jenny Shipley.
  • Became Leader of the National Party in October 2001.
  • Led the National Party to its worst-ever electoral defeat in 2002, winning just 21 percent of the vote.
  • Removed as party leader in 2003 in favour of Don Brash.
  • Served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance from 2008 to 2016.
  • Served as Prime Minister until 26 October 2017.
  • Resigned as National Party leader in February 2018.
  • Left Parliament in March 2018.
Biggest RivalJonathan Coleman
Post-Parliamentary Career
  • Joined the Board of Air New Zealand in April 2018.
  • Joined the Board of ANZ (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group).
  • Joined the Board of Wesfarmers, the Australian retail giant, in April 2018.
  • Served as a visiting fellow at the Harvard University Institute of Politics in 2018.
Key Achievements
  • Guided the New Zealand economy through the global financial crisis as Minister of Finance.
  • Initiated tax reforms and capital disciplines for the public balance sheet.
  • Financed the rebuild of Christchurch after the 2010 earthquakes.
  • As Minister for Infrastructure, oversaw significant investment in digitalising government and improving customer experience of public services.
  • Introduced an investment package to improve digital learning, mathematics and second language teaching in schools during his tenure as Prime Minister.

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. English's parents were the owners of Rosedale, a farm located in Dipton, Southland.
2. He holds firm stances against abortion, euthanasia, civil unions, and the decriminalization of prostitution.
3. He met his wife, Mary Scanlon, while they were both studying at the University; Mary is now a general practitioner.
4. English is known for his socially conservative beliefs and views.
5. He comes from a large farming family.
6. Before entering politics, he worked as a farmer and public servant.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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