Jenny Shipley
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The Right Honourable Dame Jenny Shipley DNZM |
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| 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
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In office 8 December 1997 – 10 December 1999 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Michael Hardie Boys |
| Deputy |
Winston Peters Wyatt Creech |
| Preceded by | Jim Bolger |
| Succeeded by | Helen Clark |
| 28th Leader of the Opposition | |
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In office 10 December 1999 – 8 October 2001 |
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| Prime Minister | Helen Clark |
| Preceded by | Helen Clark |
| Succeeded by | Bill English |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Rakaia |
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In office 27 October 1990 – 27 July 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Brian Connell |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Ashburton |
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In office 15 August 1987 – 27 October 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Rob Talbot |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
4 February 1952 Gore, Southland, New Zealand |
| Political party | National Party |
| Spouse(s) | Burton Shipley (1972–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Religion | Presbyterianism |
Dame Jennifer Mary Shipley DNZM (née Robson; born 4 February 1952) was the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and to date the only female leader of the New Zealand National Party.
Born in Gore, New Zealand, Shipley was one of four sisters. After attending Marlborough Girls' College, she qualified in 1971 as a teacher and taught in New Zealand primary schools until 1976. In 1973 she married Burton Shipley and settled in Ashburton. She assisted in a number of educational and child-care organisations, such as the Plunket Society.
Having joined the National Party in 1975, Shipley successfully stood in Ashburton, a safe National seat in the country areas surrounding Christchurch, in the 1987 election. Entering parliament at age 35, she was one of parliament's youngest members. She represented this electorate until her retirement from politics in 2002, though it was renamed Rakaia in 1990.
Shipley rose quickly in the National caucus. While still in her second term, party leader Jim Bolger named her the party's spokeswoman on social welfare. When Bolger led the National Party to victory in the general election of 1990, Shipley became Minister of Social Welfare, and also served as Minister for Women's Affairs (1990–1996).
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