On Thursday this week, the usual agenda of Parliament was set aside as the House devoted the sitting day to lamenting the death of Jim Bolger, Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997.
During his seven years at the helm, Bolger’s leadership of the fourth National government oversaw a series of landmark political moments, including the transition to MMP, the introduction of resource management legislation, and – as many in the House noted on Thursday – the early stages of the Treaty settlement process.
When a significant public figure like a former prime minister passes away, it tends to be the convention in Parliament for a series of tributes to be delivered, beginning with the current prime minister.
“As prime minister, Jim led New Zealand through sweeping economic, social, and constitutional changes, from major fiscal reform, including the ‘mother of all Budgets’, to industrial relations transformation, and to overseeing the early stages of Treaty settlements,” Christopher Luxon said.
“He was a strong supporter also of New Zealand’s place in the world. He backed our alliance with the United States but respected the will of New Zealanders and maintained our nuclear-free stance. He strongly opposed nuclear testing in the Pacific, and he helped reshape our foreign policy to be more outward-looking, more engaged with Asia Pacific, an approach that still guides our government today.”
Bolger continued to be politically active long after leaving office, and as Labour’s Chris Hipkins pointed out, that included advocating for Māori.
“His work to advance Māori and progress Treaty settlements does deserve special mention. I know how much he’s held in high regard on marae and with iwi up and down the country. In one of his last interviews, only a couple of weeks ago, actually, ironically with a younger member of the Labour Party, he spoke of his concern that so many New Zealanders now seem scared of the word ‘Māori’.
“He reminded us that when Māori do well, we will all do well. He also offered a sobering warning that until the injustices of the past are addressed and Māori are thriving, we will never be able to truly leave behind our past conflicts.”
A husband, a father, and a grandfather, Bolger left behind nine children and 18 grandchildren. The Greens’ Teanau Tuiono cheekily suggested that the former prime minister’s ability to wrangle a large whanau provided crossover skills in his engagement with Māori.
“As I was scrolling through social media, I saw many tributes from many Māori communities-communities that he helped to support navigate the Treaty settlement claims. As I looked at the size of his whānau, I had to think that perhaps his deft ability in being able to work with many Māori communities was because he had his own iwi and he had his own hapū.”
At the time the Treaty settlement process was first introduced, the concept was foreign, and to some even radical. The political landscape of the early 1990s was often far from welcoming to such ideas. Yet Bolger persevered.
“Many people will know the history very well-the changes that occurred in the 1990s, bedding in and continuing a process of economic reform that brought New Zealand into the modern world, and the reconciliation that occurred through the Treaty settlement process, without which New Zealand today, would be unimaginable. And yet, it’s so easy to forget how brave and difficult starting that process of Treaty settlements would have been in 1992.”
While Speaker Gerry Brownlee was elected to Parliament at the end of Bolger’s tenure, Winston Peters is the only current MP who can claim to have worked with him in Cabinet.
“He was proud of his Irish ancestry and saw a historic parallel in the treatment of Irish nationalists with the mistakes of some former New Zealand governments with Māori in New Zealand. As a Te Kūiti farmer, he grew up around Māori and saw no reason for difference and every reason for communities to be stronger together.”
Te Pāti Māori leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer talked fondly of Bolger and his dedication to fairness in the Crown-Māori relationship, and even went as far as calling him our greatest Prime Minister since Labour’s Michael Joseph Savage.
“His work around the Cabinet table gave life to the principles of good faith and goodwill unto all. We’ll remember Bolger’s commitment to restoring the honour of the Crown under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. He knew Te Tiriti o Waitangi promises a place for all in this country, and that we all have love, and should have love, for each other.
“His leadership serves as a lesson: not to vilify or burn bridges with Māori communities but to embrace each other in the spirit of peace through justice, together owning our past and collaboratively looking towards our future.”
“Bolger knowingly expanded political capital for the nation’s progress and to address historical injustices. His disposition is described by many who we also spoke to as magnificent, as inclusive, and as, indeed, a proud Irishman-earning him the nickname ‘Spud’. For us, Bolger is regarded as the greatest Prime Minister since Michael Savage. He had a legacy that affected the whole country. He heard and saw te iwi Māori.”
You can read the full transcript of Thursday’s tributes to Jim Bolger in the Hansard report, or you can listen to the audio version of this story by clicking the link near the top of the page.
