Jenny Shipley

Mary Jenny Shipley, DNZM ( born February 4, 1952 in Gore, Southland, New Zealand as Jennifer Mary Robson ) is a New Zealand politician.

Life

Shipley went to Wellington and Blenheim to school and graduated in 1971 her teacher training at Christchurch Teachers College successfully. From 1971 to 1976 she worked as a teacher. In 1975, she joined the National Party and in 1987 she was elected for the area of ​​Ashburton. Under Prime Minister Jim Bolger was in 1990 Minister of Social Affairs and Women's Affairs. She was Minister of Health of New Zealand in 1993.

After intra- party squabbles they broke after a crucial vote from Bolger as party leader and was on December 8, 1997 the first female Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Reign

As head of government, there Shipley did not succeed, the coalition with the right-wing New Zealand First Party maintain. The chairman of the New Zealand First Party Winston Peters left the Cabinet in 1998.

Shipleys political end began with a discussion of the national flag. Culture Minister Hasler had requested to change the New Zealand flag, and Shipley supported them (see also: silver fern flag ). This was all the more surprising as they not much else was doing it, so that New Zealand could be a republic. Immediately turned out that she was friends with the CEO of the manufacturing company for flags. The resulting discussion damaged the reputation Shipley and her ruling party permanently.

In the 1999 elections, the Conservatives were replaced by the Labour Party, and its chairman Helen Clark became the new Prime Minister of New Zealand. Shipley's reign ended on December 5, 1999.

Shipley, however, remained party leader until October 2001, when it was replaced again. At the same time they also gave up on her seat.

Jenny Shipley is married to Burton Shipley. The couple has a daughter and a son.