New Zealand's first woman Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, has been sworn in.

She replaces Jim Bolger, whom she ousted in a coup as leader of the National Party, the senior partner in the two party centre-right coalition government.

Mr Bolger had been prime minister for seven years, but was dumped by his party because he was not seen as hard enough to manage the New Zealand first party, the junior partners in the governing coalition.

Known as 'the perfumed bulldozer'

Jenny Shipley has an image of a tough, no-nonsense politician, a strong supporter of a free-market economy and social policies that emphasize personal, not State responsibility.

She has already appointed economic hardliners to he rcabinet, however her first statements in the new job talk about building a more cohesive and inclusive society based on progressive social policies. She is promising more reform.

Economic hardliners have been Mrs Shipley's first appointment

Her more pressing task will be to assure the junior partner in the coalition government, the centrist New Zealand First Party, that they can work with her and live with her political vision.

At the moment, Mrs Shipley is talking of revitalizing the government and better co-ordination of the two parties. She's even suggested that parliament might run better with fewer politicians.

Street protests during Mrs Shipley's time as social welfare minister

The former teacher is no stranger to tough political decisions, as a social welfare minister in the early 1990's she outraged some New Zealanders by drastically cutting welfare benefits.

Mrs Shipley now has the summer holidays to start putting flesh on some of the initiatives she hopes will restore confidence in her party and the government. She will also have to prepare for her first parliamentary clash with the leader of the opposition, also a woman.
 

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