[5][8] Bolger had notified all leaders of parties then represented in parliament, to ensure broad cross-party support.

[10] In the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hardie Boys was the first person appointed a Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

[12] Controversy ensued in 1996 when he stated his opposition to Minister of Youth Affairs Deborah Morris's suggestion that young people have access to contraceptives.

[15] Hardie Boys travelled extensively in the South Pacific, visiting Niue, Tokelau, and the Cook Islands – where he served as Governor-General – as well as Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia.

[16] Hardie Boys hosted United States President Bill Clinton during the 1999 APEC Summit in Auckland,[17] and represented New Zealand at the 50th anniversary of NATO in Washington.

[16] Upon the completion of his term on 21 March 2001, Sir Michael and Lady Hardie Boys were both appointed additional Companions of the Queen's Service Order.

[18] After his retirement as Governor-General of New Zealand, Hardie Boys served as a judge of the Kiribati Court of Appeal.