David Farrar: Vale Judith

Judith Collins was first elected to Parliament in 2002, almost 24 years ago. This is when I first met her, as I was an opposition staffer.

National only got five new MPs in 2002 – Judith Collins, Sandra Goudie, Don Brash John Key and Brian Connell. Three of those five MPs would go on to become National Party Leaders. It was overall a good intake. One, we don’t mention!

John McLean: Judith Collins - Worthy Law Commission President In Waitaing

Criticisms of Collins’ appointment as Law Commission President are selective and hypocritical

On 28 January 2026, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced that sitting Government Minister Judith Collins  will be appointed President of the New Zealand Law Commission in the first half of 2026. On becoming Law Commission President, Collins will retire from politics. Collins currently holds a number of Cabinet portfolios, including Attorney‑General and Minister of Defence.
Under the Law Commission Act 1985, the Commission’s President is also its chief executive and has an express duty to “supervise and direct the work of the Commission”. Under the Act, the Commission’s principal functions include to:

Dr Michael Bassett: Wellington - What's wrong with it?

On Monday 28 July there was a strange story in the New Zealand Herald about advice that had been given to the Attorney-General, Judith Collins, by her officers. They had told their minister that the Justice minister’s intended changes to the electoral legislation banning enrolment during the 13 days before an election when early voting gets underway, breaches the Bill of Rights Act. Weird! Most particularly because it tells us that whoever gave that advice to the Minister clearly had little or no knowledge of the history of the rules that cover enrolment and voting in New Zealand.

Ani O'Brien: Racist or righteous? - Privileges Committee versus Te Pāti Māori

I have written many times before about narratives and the role of constructing the binary of good and evil in politics. This week we again see how storytelling is shaping a prominent political conflict with the race to own the narrative as the Privileges Committee hands down its recommendations. On the one hand, Te Pāti Māori has rushed to take the role of victims enabled by the other opposition parties and the majority of the media. They have run with accusations of racism and colonisation. On the other, the Government parties argue that the punishment for the trio of Te Pāti Māori MPs is simply fair consequences for breaking the rules of Parliament.

Kerre Woodham: Are the Greens bonkers?

Are the Greens bonkers? The Greens have come out and criticised Judith Collins for tinkering with the Public Service Commission census – that's a voluntary survey run over three weeks and it's a follow up to the initial 2021 survey of the same name. Now Judith Collins and her office had a look at the 2021 survey, and they suggested a few changes. They had thoughts about the census, and they said we don't really need the questions about disability, rainbow identities, religion, te reo Māori proficiency levels, on-the-job training, and agencies’ commitment to the Māori-Crown relationship.

Chris Lynch: New Zealand and Philippines to sign military cooperation agreement

New Zealand and the Philippines will this week formalise a new agreement to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, Defence Minister Judith Collins has announced.

Collins is travelling to the Philippines today to sign the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, which she said highlights the importance New Zealand places on working closely with regional partners.

Ele Ludemann: Which rules rule?

Would Te Pāti Māori MPs wear hats in a church, mosque or synagogue?

Would they respect any other mores if they went to a service in any of those buildings?

Would they expect anyone and everyone visiting a marae to abide by their customs and rules?

DTNZ: Privileges Committee hearing to proceed without Te Pāti Māori MPs

The Privileges Committee chaired by Judith Collins will proceed with its scheduled hearing this afternoon, despite Te Pāti Māori MPs refusing to attend, citing a “denial of natural justice” and calling the process a “kangaroo court.”

The MPs argue that their request for a joint hearing, the inclusion of a “tikanga expert”, and representation by chosen senior counsel were unfairly denied.

David Farrar: $800 million less on consultants

Judith Collins announced:

The Government’s move to cut public sector spending on consultants and contractors is on track to save $800 million over two years – double the initial target, Public Service Minister Judith Collins says.

“We set a two-year target to cut $400 million in spending on consultants and contractors across the public sector by 2024/25,” Ms Collins says.

David Farrar: The Marsden Fund changes will boost university rankings

The Herald has another story with the usual suspects complaining that Judith Collins cut off the woke research gravy train by requiring funding to go on actual scientific research rather than how to create a Treaty of Waitangi compliant tax system.

The legacy media have run probably ten times as many stories attacking the changes and labelling them controversial, as they did highlighting some of the projects that were previously funded that was nothing more than woke activism seeking funds.

John McLean: New Zealand Judiciary continues to circle the wagons

The United Judges of Woketearoa give their Government yet another stiff middle finger

In November 2024, District Court Judge “Ema” Aitken, her former-doctor husband David Galler and King’s Counsel Michael Reed KC gate-crashed a private function at Auckland city’s Northern Club. The function was a Christmas get together of the New Zealand First political party. Aitken’s real name is Elizabeth Margaret Aitken. “Ema” appears to be a truncation designed to make herself seem cool.

Suze: All Aboard the Trump Train!

Politicians on the left are stunned into silence watching Donald Trump’s juggernaut train mow down everything in its path in the quest to remove Deep State corruption and interference from the American Government and restore democracy, national security and freedom of speech to the people.

David Farrar: Collins on Public Sector

An excellent speech by new Public Services Minister Judith Collins to public sector CEOs. Some extracts:

Sir Bob Jones: Judith Collins naivety

The recent fracas at Auckland’s Northern Club, involving Judge Emma Aitken, her medical specialist partner, and in a separate incident, barrister Michael Reed K.C, brought much delight to the media, so much so, Wellington’s Post for example, joyously front-paged it word for word, two days in a row.

That said, I was astonished by Attorney General Judith Collins reaction, specifically, this “very serious” matter, was “not what I expect from members of the judiciary”.

Dr Guy Hatchard: Major Alert - New Zealand Government is Enshrining ‘Medical Mandates’ in Law

There is a revolution in progress, and it is not a bloodless revolution.

The Gene Technology Bill introduced to Parliament this week includes the following provisions:—

Professor Robert MacCulloch: National Defunds Economics.....

National Defunds Economics, saying NZ needs instead to invest in "Core Science" that has "Economic Impact".

Minister Judith Collins, who came to speak to my law and economics class last year, and said she "loved meeting the lecturer" - how sweet - this week announced she's defunding economics research. Maybe the class didn't go as well as I thought. The Beehive says, "The focus of the Marsden [Research] Fund will shift to core science, with humanities & social sciences panels .. no longer supported".

David Farrar: Marsden Fund dewoked

Judith Collins announced:

The new Investment Plan focuses on supporting research that can be of economic, environmental or health benefit to New Zealand. The new Terms of Reference outline that approximately 50 per cent of funds will go towards supporting proposals with economic benefits to New Zealand.

David Farrar: Collins on why hate speech should be condemned not criminalised

An excellent address by Attorney-General Judith Collins to the University of Western Sydney (which has also made her an Adjunct Professor of Law).

Eliora: Is NIWA Under Political Pressure?

Disputing the existence of previous storms is pretty stupid... or is it?

Recently there has been a verbal stoush between the Government and an investigative journalist. Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Judith Collins believes NIWA (the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) research and statistics. Awkwardly, Ian Wishart says NIWA has left out vital storm statistics. He subsequently informed the minister’s office of a concerning omission in his view. On 14 August, Reality Check Radio (RCR) breakfast host Paul Brennan interviewed Collins to discuss GE field trials and this alleged disparity. Listen here (below):

Peter Dunne: Judith Collins KC

In every government there is a quiet achiever – a Minister who just gets on with the job and gets things done, without fuss or fanfare, no matter what else is going on around them. In the current government, that Minister is Judith Collins.