Jenny Shipley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Dame Jenny Shipley DNZM
Shipley in 2020
36th Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office 8 December 1997 – 10 December 1999
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor-General	Michael Hardie Boys
Deputy	Winston Peters Wyatt Creech
Preceded by	Jim Bolger
Succeeded by	Helen Clark
28th Leader of the Opposition
In office 10 December 1999 – 8 October 2001
Prime Minister	Helen Clark
Deputy	Wyatt Creech Bill English
Preceded by	Helen Clark
Succeeded by	Bill English
8th Minister for State Owned Enterprises
In office 16 December 1996 – 8 December 1997
Prime Minister	Jim Bolger
Preceded by	Philip Burdon
Succeeded by	Tony Ryall
32nd Minister of Health
In office 29 November 1993 – 16 December 1996
Prime Minister	Jim Bolger
Preceded by	Bill Birch
Succeeded by	Bill English
19th Minister for Social Welfare
In office 2 November 1990 – 29 November 1993
Prime Minister	Jim Bolger
Preceded by	Michael Cullen
Succeeded by	Peter Gresham
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Rakaia Ashburton (1987–1990)
In office 15 August 1987 – 27 July 2002
Preceded by	Rob Talbot
Succeeded by	Brian Connell
Personal details
Born	Jennifer Mary Robson (1952-02-04) 4 February 1952 (age 73) Gore, New Zealand
Political party	National
Spouse	Burton Shipley ​ (m. 1972)​
Children	2

Dame Jenny Shipley (born Jennifer Mary Robson on 4 February 1952) is a New Zealand politician who made history. She was the 36th prime minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999. This made her the very first female prime minister of New Zealand. She was also the first woman to lead the National Party.

Jenny Shipley grew up in the Canterbury area. She studied to become a teacher and worked in schools before entering politics. In 1987, she was elected to the New Zealand Parliament for the Ashburton area. When her party, the National Party, won the election in 1990, she became a minister in the government. She held important roles like Minister of Social Welfare and Minister of Health.

In 1997, Jenny Shipley became the leader of the National Party and then the Prime Minister. Her government was defeated in the 1999 election by the Labour Party, led by Helen Clark. After leaving politics, she became involved in business and charity work.

Early Life and Education

Jenny Shipley was born in Gore, New Zealand on 4 February 1952. She was one of four sisters. Her father was a minister.

She went to Marlborough Girls' College. In 1971, she finished her teaching studies at the Christchurch College of Education. She worked as a primary school teacher in New Zealand until 1976. In 1973, she married Burton Shipley and they settled in Ashburton.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Jenny Shipley joined the National Party in 1975. In the 1987 election, she successfully ran for Parliament in the Ashburton area. This area was a strong supporter of the National Party.

She entered Parliament at 35 years old, making her one of the youngest members at the time.

Cabinet Minister Roles

Shipley quickly became important within the National Party. In 1990, the party leader, Jim Bolger, made her the party's spokesperson for social welfare.

When the National Party won the 1990 election, Shipley was re-elected. She became the Minister of Social Welfare. She also served as Minister for Women's Affairs from 1990 to 1996.

Later, in 1993, she became Minister of Health. In this role, she worked to change the public health system. After the 1996 election, she took on other important roles. These included being in charge of state-owned businesses and transport.

In 1993, Shipley received the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal. This medal celebrated 100 years since women in New Zealand gained the right to vote.

Becoming Prime Minister (1997–1999)

Premiership of Jenny Shipley
8 December 1997 – 10 December 1999
Elizabeth II
Cabinet	Fourth National Government of New Zealand
Party	New Zealand National Party
Appointer	Michael Hardie Boys
Seat	Premier House
← Jim Bolger • Helen Clark →

Shipley (centre) with United States President Bill Clinton, 15 September 1999.

Jenny Shipley felt that the government was moving too slowly. In 1997, she gained enough support from her National Party colleagues to become their leader. The previous Prime Minister, Jim Bolger, resigned. Shipley then became Prime Minister on 8 December 1997. She was the first woman to hold this top job in New Zealand.

Her government was a partnership with another party called New Zealand First. This partnership became difficult. In August 1998, Shipley removed the leader of New Zealand First, Winston Peters, from his government role. She managed to stay in power with the help of a new group called Mauri Pacific.

In September 1999, New Zealand hosted the APEC Summit in Auckland. This was a big international meeting. During this time, Prime Minister Shipley met with the President of the United States, Bill Clinton. This was a very important meeting, as it was one of only two times a US President has visited New Zealand.

Shipley was also the first Prime Minister to attend the gay and lesbian Hero Parade. She wanted to connect with more different groups of voters. She also supported lowering the alcohol purchase age from 20 to 18, which happened in 1999.

After her time as Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley became a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. This is a group of current and former women presidents and prime ministers from around the world.

Election Defeat and Leaving Parliament

Jenny Shipley led the National Party into the 1999 election. She hoped to be the first woman to be elected Prime Minister in her own right. However, her government was defeated by the Labour Party. The Labour Party was also led by a woman, Helen Clark. This election was a special moment because it was the first time in New Zealand history that both main parties were led by women.

Shipley continued to serve as the Leader of the Opposition until October 2001. Then, Bill English took over as the National Party leader. Jenny Shipley officially left Parliament in January 2002.

In 2003, she was given the title of Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was to recognise her important work as a Member of Parliament.

Life After Politics

Shipley attending the Wellington celebration of the anniversary of suffrage day, 19 September 2013

After leaving politics, Jenny Shipley became involved in business and charity work. She joined a financial company in 2007. From 2009 to 2018, she was the chairperson of the board for Genesis Energy Limited. She also served on the board of the New Zealand branch of the China Construction Bank.

She later faced a legal case related to her role on the board of a construction company called Mainzeal. The company faced financial difficulties. In 2023, a court ruled that she and other directors had to pay money related to the company's collapse.

Other Activities and Honours

In 2009, Jenny Shipley appeared on a TV show called Intrepid Journeys. She visited Namibia during the show. After this trip, she started a charity called the Namibian Educational Trust to help a school she saw there.

She also chaired Global Women NZ until 2015. She was also involved with the New Zealand National Heart Foundation's "Go Red for Women" campaign.