The Shadow Cabinet of

Bill English Sir Simon William English (born 30 December 1961) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 39th prime minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017 and Leader of the New Zealand National Party, leader of the New Zealand National Party, ...

formed the

official Opposition Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''t ...

in the 46th and

47th New Zealand Parliament The 47th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. Its composition was determined by the 2002 election, and it sat until 11 August 2005. The Labour Party and the Progressive Party, backed by United Future, command ...

s while Bill English led the

New Zealand National Party The New Zealand National Party (), often shortened to National () or the Nats, is a Centre-right politics, centre-right List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand that is the current senior ruling party. It is one ...

, which was the largest party not a member of the Government. English was elected National Party leader unopposed in October 2001. He led the Party to its worst-ever result at the 2002 general election and was replaced as leader by first-term MP Don Brash in October 2003.

Frontbench team

August 2002

English reshuffled his party's portfolio allocations after the 2002 general election. With the party comprising only 27 MPs, every person in the National caucus was assigned a portfolio. Notably, first-term MP and former Reserve Bank Governor

Don Brash Donald Thomas Brash (born 24 September 1940) is a former New Zealand politician who was Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party, leader of the New Zealand National Party from ...

was appointed to the Finance portfolio and ranked third.

October 2001

English was elected to the National Party leadership in October 2001, succeeding

Jenny Shipley Dame Jennifer Mary Shipley (née Robson; born 4 February 1952) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 36th prime minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999. She was the first female prime minister of New Zealand, and the first woma ...

. The list below contains a list of English's shadow ministers and their respective roles as announced October 2001. Of note was English's decision to retain the Finance portfolio, which he had held under Shipley and had indicated he would relinquish as leader. Instead, apparently under pressure for a more gradual transition, David Carter was appointed as an associate spokesperson for finance, and it was suggested that Carter would take the primary portfolio in March or April of the following year. Carter was eventually promoted to Finance spokesperson on 29 January 2002. Later changes to the National lineup included Richard Worth succeeding Max Bradford in Defence and Katherine Rich replacing John Luxton in Tourism, both in June 2002; Bradford and Luxton had announced they would not contest the 2002 election.

References

{{NZ National Party New Zealand National Party English, Bill 2001 establishments in New Zealand 2003 disestablishments in New Zealand