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Former MP and Pukekohe deputy mayor, Sir Bill Birch, has died aged 92.
Serving as a minister across two National governments, Birch was affectionally known as the “Minister of Everything,” National Party president, Sylvia Wood says.
“Today we remember Sir Bill’s immense service and the tangible difference he made in the lives of many New Zealanders. He was a titan of the National Party and we are extremely grateful for his commitment to our cause.
“Our thoughts are with his children and the wider family, to whom we offer my deepest condolences.”
Born in Hastings, Birch moved to Pukekohe as a young man where he opened his surveying practice. He served nine years on the Pukekohe Borough Council including six as deputy mayor. He was a National MP for 27 years.
“As Finance Minister he oversaw a dramatic improvement in the New Zealand economy with increased growth and lower unemployment making the lives of everyday Kiwis much easier. As Minister for Labour, Sir Bill reformed the labour market and was responsible for the creation of the Accident Compensation Corporation.”
Birch was characteristically modest about his own achievements, Wood adds.
“[He was] reluctant to acknowledge the role he had played in leaving New Zealand better off than when he found it. As one biographer observed, he would often spend considerable time talking about the people he had worked alongside until Lady Rosa Birch would quietly remind him, ‘Bill was there too, you know.'”
