National's Judith Collins won’t be standing in the November 7 election - instead, she'll be the head of the Law Commission.
Known as the Mother of the House for currently being the longest continuously serving female MP (she was first elected in 2002), she'll hang up that title in mid-2026 to take up the role as president of the New Zealand Law Commission, succeeding Mark Hickford.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon publicly shared Collins’ new role on Wednesday, saying; “it is with great regret and enormous gratitude that I thank Judith for her service; however I am delighted she will take up this prestigious appointment.”
Collins is currently the Attorney-General, Minister of Defence, Minister for Digitising Government, Minister for the Public Service, Minister Responsible for the GCSB, Minister Responsible for the NZSIS and Minister for Space. She is also the MP for Papakura.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Collins said it had been a privilege to serve her electorate of Papakura as local MP and New Zealanders as a Minister across 18 portfolios (some of them twice) during her 24-year run in Parliament.
Collins said: “The highs have been high. The lows have been very low. And through it all I have been able to do what I do because of the unwavering support of my husband, David, and my son, James.”
Collins thanked Luxon for his confidence in her "and for trusting me just to get on and do my job."
She also thanked her staff and electorate volunteers. “I simply could not have done this job without you all.”
A highlight for Collins this term was landing the Defence Capability Plan. Some of the other highlights in her political career include restoring ownership of Top of the South land to its original owners, the Judicature Modernisation Bill, banning smoking in prisons, being the first Minister for Technology and for Space.
When it came to the Dirty Politics controversy, Collins said: "What a load of rubbish that was ... I was exonerated in the Chisholm inquiry."
She said it was a really hard time, "but my friends stuck with me and my electorate stuck with me".
Collins said she loved her work in Parliament, but “all good things have to come to an end”.
“I feel like I’ve done my dash, it’s time for someone else to step in and take over some of these roles and to have an opportunity.”
She said she did not think her leaving will hurt or harm the National Party. “There are other people who can step into these roles … People have got to have opportunities.”
“I think it will refresh and it will give an opportunity to refresh in the electorate as well,” Collins said.
When it came to a potential by-election, Collins said they would need to talk to other parties.
“I don’t want to do that … I don’t want to make it difficult for everyone else,” she said.
For people coming into politics, Collins said you have to be prepared for the “rough and tumble”.
“It’s a brutal environment sometimes but actually the longer you’re there, the more you get to have relationships with people and get to know them as human beings,” Collins said, before mentioning Labour’s Barbara Edmonds.
“You get good friendships. Obviously you don’t agree on everything, that’s fine. And we don’t have to hate people because we don’t agree with them.”
When it came to her new role, Collins said the Law Commission was not there to play political games. “It’s got to be apolitical in its operation.”
Collins said she was happy to go on a high.
“Before being elected to Parliament I practised law for 21 years. Some might say law is my first love, so it seems fitting it will soon be my professional focus once again.”
Luxon said: “Judith has given more than two decades of her life to Parliament and public service as a Member of Parliament, Minister, and Leader of the Opposition.”
“Throughout that time, she has served this country with commitment and conviction. She has carried a wide range of portfolios in Government and fronted some of the most difficult challenges without flinching,” Luxon said.
“Working alongside Judith over the past six years, I have seen firsthand her deep commitment to New Zealand, her loyalty to our team, and her unshakeable belief in standing up for what she thinks is right.”
“On a personal level, I’ve seen Judith’s compassion for the people she represents, her love for her family, her sharp mind and sense of humour, and her quiet acts of kindness that most people will never know about,” he said.
“On behalf of the Government and the National Party I want to thank Judith for all she has given this country.”
15 Comments
Highly qualified and competent lawyer before entering parliament. Despite that background often fell short verbally in both debating and interviews. Seemed to be at times too much in the Muldoon confrontational style rather than having adapted to the new order that MMP introduced. Still whenever she did good work in her portfolios it was very good work indeed.
Not sure if she actually had any cars crushed under her watch?
No just a navy ship
Indeed
Simon Bridges morphed into a car.
Talked to her in the Airport last year. One car was crushed.
Good riddance
Did she help reduce the impact of her kind on (all) future generations?
Even a smidge?
NO.
C'mon PDK she worked hard within the system with the knowledge and beliefs she held. Probably 95% of the population don't really understand the impending crisis facing our species. Was it Yvil or Pa1nter about gold, who commented that they thought the melt down would take 30 - 40 years? It is typical, and, one person cannot change the world.
As we've identified, if NZ was carbon negative today, it wouldn't change the world. We're too small to notice. The real failing of the current and past crop of politicians in NZ is their undermining of our national resilience, mindlessly accepting the 'market economics' theory, and persisting in believing that diplomacy can solve everything.
New Zealand is a net carbon sink if everything that is not allowed to be included in the climate emissions calculations is included.
"Within Australasia, Australia was a net source of 38.2 ± 75.8 TgC yr−1, and New Zealand was a net CO2 sink of −38.6 ± 13.4 TgC yr−1."
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GB007845
Thank KK. We're already there and it's not changing the world. That raises the question that I keep pushing, what should we really be doing?
Think, Murray. See below.
We aren't 'already there' - look at all the traffic, ask when they started their counting...
No, it can't be.
I note the source, though...
There is a solar-derived stasus possible; sunlit acreage. That was fully deployed, pre human arrival. There was a maximum of carbon being stored in plant/tree forms, and a little in animal forms. That's the base-line - complete with all the fossilised sunlight locked away underground.
We have added the underground-stored carbon, to the above-ground arena. We in NZ have done that more than most of the 8 billion. That is an inescapable fact. Only by shifting/avoiding the real base-line and avoiding offshore support, can NZ claim to be a carbon sink.
I understand the need to avoid, but keeping an eye on the basic truth is the better way to go.
You make valid points; but consumerism only works if there's someone making the products, and politics creates the environment that makes ordinary people have the want. But that points to the core problem too; too many people.
The chaos the follows this year will, as Carney predicts, create a new normal. But even for all his wisdom and communication abilities even he is still talking growth.
The challenge you and your ilk face is how to get the politicians talking about that and the possible solutions.
Sometime when PDK sets forth an argument I cannot help but think of Bombardier Billy Wells sounding that large brass gong to open the old Rank movies. The thing is though, despite the clear indications of forthcoming human self destruction he evidences, the reality is that the billions of the world’s population are up to their gunwales with a myriad of their own issues, problems and challenges and have neither time nor inclination to think about much else.
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