Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger Passes Away at 90
Bolger was best known for his government’s crackdown on welfare and for starting the process of compensating Māori for land taken by earlier administrations.
Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger shakes hands with National MP Michael Woodhouse after the State Memorial Service for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 21, 2021. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
New Zealand’s prime minister from 1990 to 1997, Jim Bolger, has died at the age of 90.
He played a key role in transforming much of New Zealand society during his term in office, ushering in deep cuts to welfare, starting the process of compensating Māori tribes for land stolen in the 1800s, and bringing in mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting after it won support in a nationwide referendum.
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.
