16 Facts About Bill Birch

Bill Birch served as Minister of Finance from 1993 to 1999 in the fourth National Government.

Bill Birch was educated at Hamilton's Technical High School and through Wellington Technical Correspondence School.

Bill Birch was trained as a surveyor, and established a business in Pukekohe, a small town south of Auckland.

Bill Birch served on Pukehohe's borough council from 1965 to 1974, and was deputy mayor from 1968 to 1974.

In 1953, Bill Birch married Rosa Mitchell, and the couple went on to have four children.

Bill Birch first entered parliament in the 1972 election and would remain an MP for the next twenty-seven years.

At first, Bill Birch stood in Franklin, succeeding the retiring National Party MP and Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Alf Allen.

Bill Birch then was one of four ex-ministers who challenged Muldoon for the leadership of the party which resulted in Jim McLay becoming leader.

McLay promoted Bill Birch to replace Muldoon in the finance portfolio and third rank in the party caucus.

Under new leader Jim Bolger, Bill Birch returned to his position as third-ranked in caucus and retained the Labour and Employment portfolios.

In 1992, Bill Birch was made a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, an honour reserved for senior New Zealand politicians.

Between 1992 and 1996 Bill Birch was known as the "Minister of Everything" in acknowledgement that Prime Minister Jim Bolger relied heavily on Bill Birch's capacity and ability for resolving problems.

At the 1993 election, which National nearly lost, Bolger chose for Bill Birch to replace Richardson as Minister of Finance.

The senior position was given the title "Treasurer" and was assigned to Peters; Bill Birch retained the title of Minister of Finance and its remaining responsibilities.

English became the Treasurer and Bill Birch served as Minister of Finance.

Bill Birch was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal in 1990.