1. Ruth Richardson was elected as the Member of Parliament for Selwyn in 1981.
29 Facts About Ruth Richardson
1. 2.
Ruth Richardson supported and carried on the free-market reforms initiated by the preceding Labour Government, and extended them in a significant way with the Fiscal Responsibility Act 1994.
3.
Ruth Richardson was dismissed as Finance Minister following the 1993 election; she resigned from Parliament in 1994.
4.
Ruth Richardson was born in southern Taranaki on 13 December 1950.
5.
Ruth Richardson's family had a long history in the area, and her great-grandfather George Pearce had served as MP for Patea from 1908 to 1919.
6.
Ruth Richardson's father was active in the National Party's Patea branch.
7.
Ruth Richardson was brought up as a Roman Catholic, and after finishing primary school, was sent to Sacred Heart College, a Catholic girls' high school in Wanganui.
8.
Ruth Richardson decided on a career in Parliament at an early age, before she even left high school.
9.
Ruth Richardson gained a law degree from the University of Canterbury.
10.
In 1975, Ruth Richardson married Andrew Wright, a colleague from the Department.
11.
In 1978, Ruth Richardson contested the National Party's nomination for the Tasman seat.
12.
Ruth Richardson won the nomination, but in the 1978 election itself, she failed to defeat incumbent Labour MP Bill Rowling.
13.
Ruth Richardson won the nomination, and in the 1981 election, was elected to Parliament.
14.
Ruth Richardson was influenced by the neo-liberal thought of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek.
15.
Ruth Richardson quickly distinguished herself in the National Party caucus as a supporter of free market economics, privatisation, and trade liberalisation.
16.
Ruth Richardson's focus on financial matters was itself a cause for comment, as many female MPs had confined themselves to matters such as health and social welfare.
17.
When National lost the 1984 election, Ruth Richardson became a member of the Opposition.
18.
Ruth Richardson stood out in National's caucus for her strong support of the radical economic reforms of the Labour Party's new Finance Minister, Roger Douglas.
19.
When George Gair retired from the position of deputy leader, Ruth Richardson stepped forward for the position.
20.
Many National politicians believed that Ruth Richardson sought to replace Bolger as leader, but even if Bolger was vulnerable, the two factions that opposed him were unwilling to cooperate.
21.
When Ruth Richardson gave birth during a recess in the 1980s, she had a room in Parliament set aside for her to breastfeed in.
22.
When National came to power in the 1990 election, Ruth Richardson had enough support within the party to be made Minister of Finance, though Bolger preferred Bill Birch for the post.
23.
Ruth Richardson refused, preferring to take a role on the back-benches.
24.
In 1993, Ruth Richardson was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.
25.
Ruth Richardson's cut in benefits is largely seen as having corresponded with an increase in long term general poverty and wealth inequality in New Zealand.
26.
Ruth Richardson resigned from parliament in the following year, being replaced by David Carter as MP by the 1994 Selwyn by-election.
27.
Ruth Richardson continued to be involved in politics through her advocacy of the ACT New Zealand party.
28.
Ruth Richardson has a number of roles related to business and corporate governance, and served on a number of corporate boards.
29.
Ruth Richardson is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, founded by economist Friedrich Hayek.