The Right Honourable Bill English was New Zealand’s Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from October 2008 to December 2016, and then Prime Minister until the change of government in October 2017. He retired from parliament in March 2018. Mr English has an outstanding record of financial management and government policy development. He guided the New Zealand economy through the global financial crisis to be one of the faster growing developed economies with sustainable government surpluses. He initiated tax reforms, partial floats of four government companies, and financing the rebuild of Christchurch after the 2010 earthquakes. As Minister for Infrastructure, Mr English set up the National Infrastructure Unit and initiated New Zealand’s first PPP programme. He oversaw significant investment in digitalising government and improving the customer experience of public services, and made significant achievements in public sector reform and balance sheet management.
