The Country 24/10/25: Barry Soper talks to Jamie Mackay

Our political commentator reflects on the life and times of our 35th Prime Minister, Jim Bolger. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wrapping the country with cousin Barry, soaper Barry, we haven't
got enough time to talk about the Mega strikes, Marrima's mistake,
what a disaster, the Green since a party Marrier, all
Labour's policy flops. I want to talk to you and
get a couple of good quality minutes on the last
great farmer politician, Jim Bolger. I know you knew him well, oh.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
I knew him very well. In fact, I met him
first Jamie in the seventies when I was the industrial
roundsman for TVNZ and he was the labor Minister for
Rob Muldoon. So we go back a long way and
I remember back then he invited this showing twenty something
year old up to his office for a few drinks

(00:43):
and that continued through the years that are hu Jim Bulger,
and I thought it just goes to show the power
of television as all politicians like it. And then, of course,
in another life I went to radio in nineteen eighty
and Bolgel was well and truly costin. You know, spent
such a long time as a politician before he became

(01:05):
the leader, and really was he was excellent at the job.
Although if you talk to some of his caucus colleagues,
decision making was not his strongest point in terms of
making instant decisions. He wanted to test the water before
he made decisions and that was frustrating to some of them.
And of course we can never forget what happened in

(01:26):
the end, and it came as a great surprise to
Jim Bolger himself when he was defeated by Jenny Shipley.
They did the numbers when I was with him in
Europe and said au revoir to him in Paris, and
he came back, met at the airport by Doug Graham
and was told the numbers had been done and was

(01:47):
too late to retrieve his Prime ministership. So it was
an ignominious end to what was a strong career in politics.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Hey, Barry, just look, I've only got thirty seconds. But
history doesn't judge some prime minister as well. Rob Muldoon
would be a really good example. As history has gone on,
it's judged Bulger for the better. You got ten seconds.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, I think for the Treaty settlements, that's whatever remembered for,
and he have certainly remembered for that.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
At his funeral yesterday, Barry sober wrapping the country,