October 15, 2025 • 8 mins
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger has died at the age of 90. He was New Zealand's 35th prime minister, in power from 1990 to 1997.
After leaving Parliament in 1998, Bolger became New Zealand's ambassador to the United States and later Chancellor of the University of Waikato.
Clare de Lore is a journalist who was Chair of the Press Gallery at the time Jim Bolger was Prime Minister, and a close friend of the family.
She told Kerre Woodham that, 'it was a really happy environment in which he was until very recently when he had to go to hospital.'
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carry Wood and Mornings podcast from
News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd be now as you will have heard no news.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger has died at
the age of ninety. Bolger was New Zealand's thirty fifth
Prime minister, in power from nineteen ninety to nineteen ninety seven.
The National Party politician first entered Parliament in nineteen seventy
two and served as minister under Robert Muldoon. After leaving
(00:30):
parliament in nineteen ninety eight, he became New Zealand's ambassador
to the United States and later Chancellor of the University
of Waikato. Claire de Laura is a journalist who was
the chair of Parliament's Press Gallery at the time that
Bolger was Prime Minister. A very good morning to Eclaire,
Good morning Carry. Yes he had to come in after
(00:51):
a very charismatic David Longe, a less charismatic perhaps, Jeffrey Palmer.
But it would have been a difficult job to come
in after that fourth Labor government.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yes it was and there was a lot to be done.
But just before we sort of canvas that I just
wanted to say, because I have not had a chance
to speak to any members of the Bulger family myself
this morning, although my husband Don has you know, just
to convey my sympathy and condolences, and also from the
wider family many many of them McKinnon clan know the
(01:26):
Bulgers pretty well into twice sad day for them.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah. Yes, he had to have a period of ill health,
but lovely to have that family around him.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It's a great way, Oh my goodness. Yes, made a
great difference to him in his final years, although throughout
the years, of course they've been a pretty strong clan anyway,
nine children, He was from a big family and you know,
somehow and I think that somehow is Joan. It all
held together pretty well. They were a tight family and
(01:58):
his ninetieth birthday celebration really was a family affair. Don
and I were there. There were not a lot of politicians.
There were people from his political life. A lot of
former staff members, for example, senior staff members like Jim
Burns and Paul Plummer, and people in sort of Wellington
will know these names very well. There are people who've
worked for a long period in politics or around politics,
(02:21):
so he had a lot of loyalty from people he
worked with or who worked for him, and I just,
you know, found that a really interesting thing that the
focus was very much family at that time when he.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Was very.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
He was very immobile because of the renal failure and
the need to be receiving dallass several times a day
at home, which takes a big toll. But it was
a really happy environment in which he was until very
recently when he had to go to hospital.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
When you look back at his legacy, what was it.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I think his legacy was pretty much what he described
as the decent society trying to do the right thing,
not always achieving it, but trying to do the right thing.
I think the Treaty Settlements, which everyone refers to, was
one of those things whereby you know, he could see
that there was a wrong to be righted and was
(03:21):
quite a bold move on the part of a National
Party Prime minister. The policy of course very much initiated
and behind the scenes and towards the end during the
signing ceremonies led by Bud Graham, but it was a
bold thing for a National Party Prime minister to get
a head with and I think he did a really
(03:43):
good job on that. So I think as a sort
of conservative reformer. He believed in conservative values, he believed
in institutions, he believed in democracy, all of those very
traditional conservative small c type things. But he was determined
to progress some things in New Zealand, and some of
them were very contentious, and not just treaty issues. Labor
(04:04):
market reform was extra spreamely contentious. I mean, people who
can't remember those days probably cannot remember nationwide strikes being
called by the Council of Trade or trade union. The
whole country would shut down every school holidays, the cock
straight fairies stopped working, and there was very centralized bargaining
(04:26):
that went on, and ministers of labor did end up
getting involved all the time. There were roundtable talks that
involved them. So to actually decentralized to regulate that was
quite an achievement in itself, and of course very contentious
people did not Some people did not want that change,
as they had not wanted the changes that came about
under the Longie Douglas administration that preceded it. And eventually
(04:49):
people do get tired, and that of course led in
the end to Jenny Shipley sort of mounting the coup
that led to the end of Jim's political career at Parliament.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
At least it must be calling for him.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
I'm assuming it was calling, but he very quickly negotiated,
you know, a good place to go in Washington, d C.
Where I think he did represent New Zealand pretty well.
You know, he was pretty experienced by that stage in
being on an international stage, and he could hold his
own and he you know, I think he did very
well for New Zealand in Washington, d C.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yes, with a magnificent US accent.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well from time to time, Jim. It is his facility
with foreign accents, not so much languages came to the fore.
I've sometimes wondered whether that was as a result of,
you know, he grew up with a you know, distinctly
New Zealand accent, but his parents were Irish, Irish migrants
(05:50):
to New Zealand, and I just sort of wonder whether
he was used to slipping backwards and forwards, because if
you were having a drink with him, he would very
quickly start with the tarlet alataw and you know, a
bit of the irishness. So occasionally, yes, he was not
for that, but I don't think it did any harm
and he did not mind the ribbing about it.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
No, no, a good sport. Nor did he mind the
fact that quite often his Press secretary was taken for
the Prime Minister of New Zealand, not him.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Oh he is my old boss, Richard Griffin. Yes, very dapper,
very urban, dapper, distinguished person who very often had to
go ahead of the Prime Minister in terms of you know,
getting off a plane to make sure journalists were lined
up in the right order. But overseas, of course, this
would sometimes lead to people mistaking Richard for the Prime minister.
(06:44):
And all I can say is, I'm sure Richard would agree.
He is a very dear friend of mine. I am
sure he would agree. It is just as well that
he was not and that Jim was the Prime Minister.
I was talking to Richard this morning actually, and he
made you know, an observation about about Jim. Jim, you know,
(07:06):
enjoyed the attention of politics. You know, he liked the discussions,
the fact that you know, you could sit around and
talk about their politics into the way small hours in
the morning. Sometimes that was mostly a male activity after
ours at Parliament. You know, you know, women did not
generally feature quite so strongly in that what was then
(07:28):
a male bastion. But he was also as well as
being a very good talker and raconteur, he was also
pretty pretty good at listening and picking up signals and
that really enabled him to sometimes sort of figure out
what was happening in a wider New Zealand. For example,
the support the continuing Labor's anti nuke's policy, which was
(07:53):
not mainstream National party at the time, and so he
was also able to sort of occasionally head off with
support from from people including my husband, you know, discontent
in the caucus, keeping your ears open by listening to
how things were going, and that served him very well,
as well as the ability to talk behind leg off
(08:13):
a donkey at times.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
And wouldn't that wouldn't that be a wonderful thing if
we could listen more in politics, Claire, thank you so
much for your reminiscences. Claire de Law, who was chair
of Parliament's Press Gallery during the time of Jim Bolger
being New Zealand's thirty fifth Prime Minister in power from
nineteen ninety to ninety seven. He's died at the age
of ninety.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings Listen live to
news talks that'd be from nine am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Carry Wood and Mornings podcast from
News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd be now as you will have heard no news.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger has died at
the age of ninety. Bolger was New Zealand's thirty fifth
Prime minister, in power from nineteen ninety to nineteen ninety seven.
The National Party politician first entered Parliament in nineteen seventy
two and served as minister under Robert Muldoon. After leaving
(00:30):
parliament in nineteen ninety eight, he became New Zealand's ambassador
to the United States and later Chancellor of the University
of Waikato. Claire de Laura is a journalist who was
the chair of Parliament's Press Gallery at the time that
Bolger was Prime Minister. A very good morning to Eclaire,
Good morning Carry. Yes he had to come in after
(00:51):
a very charismatic David Longe, a less charismatic perhaps, Jeffrey Palmer.
But it would have been a difficult job to come
in after that fourth Labor government.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yes it was and there was a lot to be done.
But just before we sort of canvas that I just
wanted to say, because I have not had a chance
to speak to any members of the Bulger family myself
this morning, although my husband Don has you know, just
to convey my sympathy and condolences, and also from the
wider family many many of them McKinnon clan know the
(01:26):
Bulgers pretty well into twice sad day for them.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah. Yes, he had to have a period of ill health,
but lovely to have that family around him.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It's a great way, Oh my goodness. Yes, made a
great difference to him in his final years, although throughout
the years, of course they've been a pretty strong clan anyway,
nine children, He was from a big family and you know,
somehow and I think that somehow is Joan. It all
held together pretty well. They were a tight family and
(01:58):
his ninetieth birthday celebration really was a family affair. Don
and I were there. There were not a lot of politicians.
There were people from his political life. A lot of
former staff members, for example, senior staff members like Jim
Burns and Paul Plummer, and people in sort of Wellington
will know these names very well. There are people who've
worked for a long period in politics or around politics,
(02:21):
so he had a lot of loyalty from people he
worked with or who worked for him, and I just,
you know, found that a really interesting thing that the
focus was very much family at that time when he.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Was very.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
He was very immobile because of the renal failure and
the need to be receiving dallass several times a day
at home, which takes a big toll. But it was
a really happy environment in which he was until very
recently when he had to go to hospital.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
When you look back at his legacy, what was it.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I think his legacy was pretty much what he described
as the decent society trying to do the right thing,
not always achieving it, but trying to do the right thing.
I think the Treaty Settlements, which everyone refers to, was
one of those things whereby you know, he could see
that there was a wrong to be righted and was
(03:21):
quite a bold move on the part of a National
Party Prime minister. The policy of course very much initiated
and behind the scenes and towards the end during the
signing ceremonies led by Bud Graham, but it was a
bold thing for a National Party Prime minister to get
a head with and I think he did a really
(03:43):
good job on that. So I think as a sort
of conservative reformer. He believed in conservative values, he believed
in institutions, he believed in democracy, all of those very
traditional conservative small c type things. But he was determined
to progress some things in New Zealand, and some of
them were very contentious, and not just treaty issues. Labor
(04:04):
market reform was extra spreamely contentious. I mean, people who
can't remember those days probably cannot remember nationwide strikes being
called by the Council of Trade or trade union. The
whole country would shut down every school holidays, the cock
straight fairies stopped working, and there was very centralized bargaining
(04:26):
that went on, and ministers of labor did end up
getting involved all the time. There were roundtable talks that
involved them. So to actually decentralized to regulate that was
quite an achievement in itself, and of course very contentious
people did not Some people did not want that change,
as they had not wanted the changes that came about
under the Longie Douglas administration that preceded it. And eventually
(04:49):
people do get tired, and that of course led in
the end to Jenny Shipley sort of mounting the coup
that led to the end of Jim's political career at Parliament.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
At least it must be calling for him.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
I'm assuming it was calling, but he very quickly negotiated,
you know, a good place to go in Washington, d C.
Where I think he did represent New Zealand pretty well.
You know, he was pretty experienced by that stage in
being on an international stage, and he could hold his
own and he you know, I think he did very
well for New Zealand in Washington, d C.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yes, with a magnificent US accent.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well from time to time, Jim. It is his facility
with foreign accents, not so much languages came to the fore.
I've sometimes wondered whether that was as a result of,
you know, he grew up with a you know, distinctly
New Zealand accent, but his parents were Irish, Irish migrants
(05:50):
to New Zealand, and I just sort of wonder whether
he was used to slipping backwards and forwards, because if
you were having a drink with him, he would very
quickly start with the tarlet alataw and you know, a
bit of the irishness. So occasionally, yes, he was not
for that, but I don't think it did any harm
and he did not mind the ribbing about it.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
No, no, a good sport. Nor did he mind the
fact that quite often his Press secretary was taken for
the Prime Minister of New Zealand, not him.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Oh he is my old boss, Richard Griffin. Yes, very dapper,
very urban, dapper, distinguished person who very often had to
go ahead of the Prime Minister in terms of you know,
getting off a plane to make sure journalists were lined
up in the right order. But overseas, of course, this
would sometimes lead to people mistaking Richard for the Prime minister.
(06:44):
And all I can say is, I'm sure Richard would agree.
He is a very dear friend of mine. I am
sure he would agree. It is just as well that
he was not and that Jim was the Prime Minister.
I was talking to Richard this morning actually, and he
made you know, an observation about about Jim. Jim, you know,
(07:06):
enjoyed the attention of politics. You know, he liked the discussions,
the fact that you know, you could sit around and
talk about their politics into the way small hours in
the morning. Sometimes that was mostly a male activity after
ours at Parliament. You know, you know, women did not
generally feature quite so strongly in that what was then
(07:28):
a male bastion. But he was also as well as
being a very good talker and raconteur, he was also
pretty pretty good at listening and picking up signals and
that really enabled him to sometimes sort of figure out
what was happening in a wider New Zealand. For example,
the support the continuing Labor's anti nuke's policy, which was
(07:53):
not mainstream National party at the time, and so he
was also able to sort of occasionally head off with
support from from people including my husband, you know, discontent
in the caucus, keeping your ears open by listening to
how things were going, and that served him very well,
as well as the ability to talk behind leg off
(08:13):
a donkey at times.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
And wouldn't that wouldn't that be a wonderful thing if
we could listen more in politics, Claire, thank you so
much for your reminiscences. Claire de Law, who was chair
of Parliament's Press Gallery during the time of Jim Bolger
being New Zealand's thirty fifth Prime Minister in power from
nineteen ninety to ninety seven. He's died at the age
of ninety.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings Listen live to
news talks that'd be from nine am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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