Jenny Shipley, Date of Birth, Place of Birth
TweetJenny Shipley
New Zealand politician
Date of Birth: 04-Feb-1952
Place of Birth: Gore, Southland Region, New Zealand
Profession: politician
Nationality: New Zealand
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius 
About Jenny Shipley
- Dame Jennifer Mary Shipley (nÊe Robson; born 4 February 1952) is a former New Zealand politician who served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999.
- She was the first female prime minister of New Zealand, and is the only woman to have led the National Party.Shipley was born in Gore, Southland.
- She grew up in rural Canterbury, and attended Marlborough Girls' College and the Christchurch College of Education.
- Before entering politics, she worked as a schoolteacher and was involved with various community organisations.
- Shipley was elected to Parliament at the 1987 election, winning the Ashburton electorate (later renamed Rakaia).
- When the National Party returned to power in 1990, she was appointed to Cabinet under Jim Bolger.
- Shipley subsequently served as Minister of Social Welfare (1990â1996), Minister for Women's Affairs (1990â1996), Minister of Health (1993â1996), and Minister of Transport (1996â1997). In December 1997, Bolger resigned as Prime Minister after losing the confidence of his party.
- Shipley was elected as his replacement unopposed, becoming New Zealand's first female head of government.
- She inherited an uneasy coalition with New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters.
- The coalition was dissolved in August 1998, but Shipley was able to remain in power with the aid of Mauri Pacific, an NZ First splinter group.
- At the 1999 election, Shipley's government was defeated by the Labour Party, led by Helen Clark.
- She continued on as Leader of the Opposition until October 2001.
- Shipley has involved herself with business and charitable interests since leaving politics, and is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders.
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