‘A towering figure in NZ’s political life’: Vale Jim Bolger
Thursday, 16 October 2025
Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger has died after months of treatment for kidney failure. He was 90.
As a mark of mourning and respect, the New Zealand flag will be flown at half-mast on all Government and public buildings today. There will also be a condolence book
Bolger, who was prime minister of New Zealand from 1990 to 1997, died peacefully surrounded by his nine children, 18 grandchildren and his wife Joan.
The family
“Over the period of his illness, Jim and the family have greatly appreciated the support and companionship of so many friends near and far,” the Bolger family said in a statement.
“Joan and family would also like to thank the renal team and all the wonderful staff at Wellington Regional Hospital and Wellington Free Ambulance for their care of Jim over recent months.
“Jim was much loved and will be deeply missed.”
Instead of Question Time in the house this afternoon, there will be a motion moved by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to note respect for Bolger and adjourn the House, at which point party leaders and others will give their condolences. After the speeches the House will rise for the week
Bolger is the first National Party prime minister to die since Sir Robert Muldoon passed away in 1992.
The Prime Minister
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who now holds Bolger’s former job on the ninth floor of the Beehive, paid tribute.
“Jim Bolger was a towering figure in New Zealand’s political life – a leader of conviction, a reformer of consequence, and a servant of the people whose legacy has shaped our nation in profound and lasting ways,” he said.
“While his government was sometimes tested by the scale and pace of reform, he never wavered in his belief that the role of leadership was to prepare a better future, not merely manage the present.
Ruth Richardson
Former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson, who Bolger ended up effectively sacking from her portfolio, told The Post that in the early 1990s and faced with a parlous situation, Bolger rose to the occasion.
“To Jim's credit when he had to show policy bravery he did. We faced a financial horror story on taking office. Inflation was in double digits, far from the promised surplus there was a dirty great deficit, the BNZ was broke and we were drowning in debt.
“Jim's hand was forced where the imperative was to be transformational. Jim rose to the occasion. For me reform was a cause, for Jim it was a necessity', she said
Winston Peters
Foreign Minister Winston Peters was at various points in his career was both political friend and foe of Bolger - leaving the National Government led by Bolger to form NZ First. He said Bolger was “a proud New Zealander who served his country as Prime Minister during a difficult period of serious transition in our politics”.
“Everyone with a knowledge of New Zealand political history from the late 1980s and early 1990s will know that the two of us sometimes had our policy differences!
“But from 1996 onwards, Mr Bolger and I led New Zealand’s first MMP Government - which was a coalition between NZ First and National.“
“As the leader of Mr Bolger’s coalition partner, I can attest he was a man of his word. He did what he said he would do - and we ran our Coalition Government with integrity, focus and a fidelity to New Zealanders who had delivered a majority to our two political parties.“
Helen Clark
Former prime minisiter Helen Clark, who was leader of the Labour opposition from 1993 to 1999, took to social media platform X to express her condolsences.
“Deeply saddened by news of death of former NZ Prime Minister Jim Bolger, a parliamentary colleague for many years. Jim was deeply committed to NZ & served our country selflessly. My heart goes out to Joan and all the Bolger family at this sad time. RIP.”
Wayne Eagleson
Wayne Eagleson, who would later become John Key and Bill English’s chief of staff, was a young researcher in opposition and then staffer to Bolger in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He told The Post that Bolger’s legacy would be a strong one.
He recounted how in Wellington, the day after a big victory party in Te Kuiti, the new prime minister Bolger was met by Treasury officials and told the BNZ - then owned by the Government - was about to fail. This would change the trajectory of the Government.
“I'm strongly of the view that history is is going to treat Jim really well.”
“I think through all of it, he was kind of always aware of and conscious of the politics. But he never let it, you know, he never let it kind of determine, in the end, what he felt that he had to do and and for that, I think he deserves a huge amount of respect.”
Tā Tipene O’Regan, Ngāi Tahu
O’Regan, the chief negotiator for Te Kerēme - the Ngāi Tahu Claim said Bolger played a significant role in securing both the iwi’s settlement with the Crown and two earlier fisheries settlements.
He said Bolger was a pragmatist, “driven by the desire to do what was right for Māori and all of New Zealand”.
“Jim was probably one of the most widely read and widely informed people that I have ever dealt with.” He recalled Bolger’s “intellectual courage” and “inquiring”. “We were able to trust each other implicitly.”
O’Regan said they became “very good friends and enjoyed long conversations on all sorts of topics, such as indigenous rights, New Zealand history, and global issues”.
He said his thoughts were with Bolger’s wife Joan and whānau.