English named New Zealand prime minister

Bill English has been sworn in as New Zealand’s prime minister following the resignation of John Key last week.

She said Monday, “There was a moment when I was a 17-year-old Maori solo mum”.

Today the era of John Key ends, as the National Party caucus appoints a new prime minister and deputy prime minister.

Key, due to his outstanding performance as the minister of finance, thus resulting in New Zealand’s additional financial budget.

First elected to the Parliament in 1990 as the member for the Wallace electorate, later renamed Clutha-Southland.

The doubters are circling.

“This has been the cornerstone of the Key administration, and while New Zealand’s primary sector needs this to remain the government’s priority, we also need the government to stick to evidence-based policy”.

Mr Key told Parliament in his final speech as Prime Minister that he had enjoyed the attention but was looking forward to stepping away from the public eye.

And having previously led the National Party to its worst ever election defeat 16 years ago, Mr English will be under vast pressure to avoid a repeat loss.

He replaced Jenny Shipley as the leader of the National Party in 2001.

“Last Thursday, after it was apparent that I may succeed in the leadership of the National Party, I went to a women’s leadership conference I’d been booked in to speak at, and there I heard a poem performed, by Selina Tusitala Marsh”. He has voted against euthanasia, same-sex marriage and abortion. But in many respects he is a progressive politician, driven by a belief that government should improve people’s lives.

Mr English thanked his wife Mary and six children.

Key was keen to bin the current New Zealand flag and held an unsuccessful referendum on the subject in November 2015.

Mr English said decisions on an election date would not be made until early next year. His economic platform remains more prudent than exciting. In biggest city Auckland, the average house price is now more than NZ$1 million.

He also added that he would not run a fourth term in the 2017 election. The National Party gained just 21 percent of the vote, its worst-ever showing.

“It gives a sense of newness (to the government) that the public probably do want”.

“We need to know more about Bill English and his qualities as a person”, said Miller.