page_title: Bill English
section_title: Opposition (1999–2008)
hierarchical_section_title: Bill English / Opposition (1999–2008)
caption_attribution_description: English: Bill English
context_page_description: Sir Simon William English KNZM is a New Zealand former politician of the National Party who served as the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003 and 2017 to 2018.
  A farmer and public servant before entering politics, English was elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 1990 as the National Party's candidate in the Wallace electorate. He was elevated to Cabinet in 1996 and in 1999 was made Minister of Finance, although he served for less than a year due to his party's loss at the 1999 general election. In October 2001, English replaced Jenny Shipley as the leader of the National Party. He led the party to its worst defeat at the 2002 general election, and as a consequence, in October 2003 he was replaced as leader by Don Brash.
  In November 2006, after Brash's resignation, English became deputy leader under John Key. After National's victory at the 2008 general election, he became Deputy Prime Minister and was also made Minister for Finance for the second time. Under English's direction New Zealand's economy maintained steady growth during National's three terms of government.
context_section_description: After the National Party lost the 1999 election to Helen Clark's Labour Party, English continued on in the shadow cabinet as National's spokesperson for finance. He was elected deputy leader of the party in February 2001, following the resignation of Wyatt Creech, with Gerry Brownlee being his unsuccessful opponent.
caption: English in February 2005
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