Bill Birch

Sir William Francis Birch GNZM JP (born 9 April 1934), usually known as Bill Birch, is a former New Zealand politician. He served as Minister of Finance for several years in the fourth National government.

Early life

Birch was born in Hastings on 9 April 1934. He gained his qualifications at Hamilton's Technical High School and through Wellington Technical Correspondence School. He was trained as a surveyor, and established a business in Pukekohe, a small town south of Auckland. Birch quickly became involved in various Pukekohe community organisations. He served on Pukehohe's borough council from 1965 to 1974, and was deputy mayor from 1968 to 1974.

Member of Parliament

Birch first entered parliament in the 1972 election, as the National Party's candidate for the Franklin electorate;Pukekohe was located roughly in the centre of the Franklin electorate. National won the 1975 election, and formed the third National Government, whilst Birch was re-elected in Franklin. The Franklin electorate was abolished in the 1977 electoral redistribution and the electorate's area divided between several different electorates. Pukekohe was the northernmost settlement in the new Rangiriri electorate, and Birch won the 1978 election in that electorate. Birch was re-elected in Rangiriri in 1981, but the electorate was abolished through the 1983 electoral redistribution. For the 1984 election, Pukekohe was again located in the reconstituted Franklin electorate, and Birch won that election and the subsequent one in 1987. Through the 1987 electoral redistribution, Pukekohe belonged to the new Maramarua electorate from 1987 to 1993, and Birch served that electorate for two parliamentary terms. For one term beginning in 1993, he represented the reconstituted Franklin electorate, before transferring to the new Port Waikato electorate in 1996. Birch retired in 1999 after 27 years in Parliament.

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Looking forward to a future where doctors prescribe time to take in a hedgerow

The Irish Times 29 Mar 2025
He’s soon joined by a less striking but equally charming blue tit, its small form bouncing up and down on a silver birch twig as it adroitly sharpens its bill at the same time ... The silver birch towers ...
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