Ruth Richardson

Ruth Richardson (born 13 December 1950) served as New Zealand's Minister of Finance from 1990 to 1993, and is known for her strong pursuit of free-market policies (her opponents sometimes called it "Ruthanasia").

Early life

Richardson was born in southern Taranaki on 13 December 1950. Her family had a long history in the area, and her great-grandfather George Pearce had served as MP for Patea from 1908 to 1919. Her father was active in the National Party's Patea branch. Richardson was brought up as a Roman Catholic, and after finishing primary school, was sent to Sacred Heart College, a Catholic girls' high school in Wanganui.

Richardson decided on a career in Parliament at an early age, before she even left high school. Sir Roy Jack, a National Party MP and a friend of her family, advised her to study law, which she did. Richardson gained a law degree with honours from the University of Canterbury. After graduating, she worked for the Department of Justice, again following Sir Roy Jack's advice. In 1975, Richardson married Andrew Wright, a colleague from the Department.