Bill English was elected the 39th prime minister of New Zealand following John Key's resignation last week. English, who had led the National Party to their worst election defeat in history, addressed his first press conference as prime minister reciting poetry.
"Last Thursday, after it was apparent that I may succeed in the leadership of the National Party, I went to a women's leadership conference I'd been booked in to speak at, and there I heard a poem performed, by Selina Tusitala Marsh. She said: 'Lead and dig up the diamonds around you.' That is our task, together," English, a former finance minister who describes himself as a "boring" person, said.
Key had endorsed the Catholic farmer-turned-politician last week for the position of the prime minister of New Zealand. According to a report in the Guardian, English is seen as a safe and trusted option who can take the government to the elections scheduled in 2017.
English, who hails from the deep south of New Zealand, is a father of six. He studied commerce and English literature at a university in Dunedin and Wellington before becoming a farmer, after which he returned to Wellington to begin his political career.
He was born in the Southland town of Dipton in 1961, was first elected to Parliament in 1990. He has voted against euthanasia, same-sex marriage and abortion. However, he stated at the press conference that his faith didn't define him and that he was no longer against same-sex marriage and if, given a chance, would vote in favour of it.
"I don't think gay marriage is a threat to anyone else's marriage," English said.
He had talked about his faith in an interview in 2008 with Weekly Challenge, the country's Christian newspaper: "It is very good for someone in public life to spend a minimum of an hour a week participating in ... in my case, going to mass and hearing language like forgiveness, mercy, sinfulness, worship – none of which you hear about in day-to-day political life... And also hearing stories of humanity going back four or five thousand years. It creates a more rounded perspective on the events of the day."
Meanwhile, Paula Bennett has been chosen as the deputy prime minister of New Zealand. She is the country's longest-serving social housing minister and also the National Party's first female deputy prime minister and only the second female deputy prime minister in the country's history, the Guardian reported.
English, in his speech, described her as a "smart, accomplished and energetic woman" who had spearheaded world-leading welfare reforms.
"We have worked closely together for many years and I deeply admire and respect him... He will serve this country as prime minister with drive, determination and compassion," Bennett said of English.
Bennett, of Maori ancestry, hails from the North Island of the country. She gave birth to her first child as a single mother at 17 and also did low-skilled jobs such as dish-washing and cleaning.
