Judith Collins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Judith Collins KC MP
Collins in 2023
34th Attorney-General of New Zealand
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	David Parker
43rd Minister of Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Andrew Little
Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Andrew Little
Minister Responsible for the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Andrew Little
3rd Minister for Digitising Government
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Ginny Andersen
1st Minister for Space
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Office established
22nd Minister for the Public Service
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 January 2025
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Nicola Willis
28th Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology
In office 27 November 2023 – 24 January 2025
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Ayesha Verrall
Succeeded by	Shane Reti
Offices held in Opposition 2020–2021 39th Leader of the Opposition In office 14 July 2020 – 25 November 2021 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Deputy Gerry Brownlee Shane Reti Preceded by Todd Muller Succeeded by Christopher Luxon 14th Leader of the National Party In office 14 July 2020 – 25 November 2021 Deputy Gerry Brownlee Shane Reti Preceded by Todd Muller Succeeded by Christopher Luxon
Ministerial Offices 2008–2017 29th Minister of Revenue In office 20 December 2016 – 26 October 2017 Prime Minister Bill English Preceded by Michael Woodhouse Succeeded by Stuart Nash 16th Minister of Energy and Resources In office 20 December 2016 – 26 October 2017 Prime Minister Bill English Preceded by Simon Bridges Succeeded by Megan Woods Minister for Ethnic Affairs In office 20 December 2016 – 26 October 2017 Prime Minister Bill English Preceded by Sam Lotu-Iiga Succeeded by Jenny Salesa In office 14 December 2011 – 30 August 2014 Prime Minister John Key Preceded by Hekia Parata Succeeded by Sam Lotu-Iiga 35th Minister of Police In office 14 December 2015 – 20 December 2016 Prime Minister John Key Bill English Preceded by Michael Woodhouse Succeeded by Paula Bennett In office 19 November 2008 – 12 December 2011 Prime Minister John Key Preceded by Annette King Succeeded by Anne Tolley 10th Minister of Corrections In office 14 December 2015 – 20 December 2016 Prime Minister John Key Bill English Preceded by Sam Lotu-Iiga Succeeded by Louise Upston In office 19 November 2008 – 12 December 2011 Prime Minister John Key Preceded by Phil Goff Succeeded by Anne Tolley 47th Minister of Justice In office 12 December 2011 – 30 August 2014 Prime Minister John Key Preceded by Simon Power Succeeded by Amy Adams
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Papakura
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 November 2008
Preceded by	John Robertson (1996)
Majority	13,519
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Clevedon
In office 27 July 2002 – 8 November 2008
Preceded by	Warren Kyd (1996)
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Majority	12,871 (34.9%)
Personal details
Born	Judith Anne Collins (1959-02-24) 24 February 1959 (age 66) Hamilton, New Zealand
Political party	National Party (1999–present)
Spouse	David Wong-Tung
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Canterbury (LLB) University of Auckland (LLM) (MTaxS)
Signature

Judith Anne Collins (born 24 February 1959) is a New Zealand politician. She has been the Attorney-General and Minister of Defence since November 2023. From July 2020 to November 2021, she was the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of the National Party. Collins has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Papakura since 2008. Before that, she was the MP for Clevedon from 2002 to 2008.

Born in Hamilton, Collins studied at Matamata College and two universities. Before becoming a politician, she worked as a lawyer. She was also the President of the Auckland District Law Society. She ran her own law firm for ten years. In 2002, she was elected to Parliament.

Collins became a Cabinet Minister in 2008 under Prime Minister John Key. She held important roles like Minister of Police and Minister of Corrections. She also served as Minister of Justice. After some challenges, she returned to Cabinet in 2015. She later became Minister of Revenue and Minister of Energy and Resources.

After the National Party lost the 2017 election, Collins took on different roles in the shadow government. In July 2020, she was chosen to lead the National Party. She was the second woman to hold this position. She led the party in the 2020 election. In November 2021, she was removed as leader. After the National Party won the 2023 election, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appointed her to seven ministerial roles.

Judith Collins is currently the longest-serving female MP. This means she is known as the "Mother of the House."

Early Life and Education

Collins was born in Hamilton. Her parents, Percy and Jessie Collins, were dairy farmers. She was the youngest of six children. She went to Walton School, Matamata Intermediate, and Matamata College.

She studied at the University of Canterbury and later at the University of Auckland. She earned degrees in law and taxation. In 2020, she also completed a diploma in Occupational Health and Safety. She met her husband, David Wong-Tung, at university. They have one son.

Collins was a supporter of the Labour Party when she was young. However, by 2002, she had joined the National Party. She has also been a member of community groups like Zonta International and Rotary International.

Professional Career Before Politics

After finishing university, Collins worked as a lawyer. She focused on areas like employment, property, business, and tax law. She worked for several law firms. From 1990 to 2000, she ran her own law firm.

She was very active in legal groups. She served as President of the Auckland District Law Society. She was also Vice-President of the New Zealand Law Society. Before entering Parliament, she was a director for Housing New Zealand.

Early Years in Parliament (2002–2008)

Collins was first elected to Parliament in 2002. She represented the Clevedon area for the National Party.

In Parliament, she took on roles as a spokesperson for health and internal affairs. Later, she became a spokesperson for justice and tourism. She was known for doing well in her roles.

In 2003, Collins worked to find out if New Zealand soldiers were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Her efforts led to an apology from the government to veterans. It also resulted in a plan to support them. For her work, she received an award from the Ex-Vietnam Services Association.

For the 2008 election, her Clevedon area changed. Collins then successfully ran for the Papakura seat. She won with a large number of votes.

National Government Minister (2008–2017)

The National Party formed the government after the 2008 election. Collins became a Cabinet Minister. She was given important jobs like Minister of Police and Minister of Corrections. She also became the Minister Responsible for the Serious Fraud Office.

After the 2011 election, she was appointed Minister of Justice. She also became Minister for the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and Minister of Ethnic Affairs. She was the highest-ranked woman in the Cabinet.

Minister of Corrections

Collins at the National War Memorial, 2010

As Minister of Corrections, Collins worked to improve prison programs. She also oversaw the completion of a new prison in Auckland.

In 2010, Collins announced a ban on smoking in prisons. This was to improve health and safety for staff and prisoners. This ban was challenged but eventually became law.

Minister of Police

Collins supported the use of tasers by police officers. She helped get funding for tasers to be used nationwide. She also supported giving frontline police more access to firearms. However, she did not support all police officers carrying firearms all the time.

In 2009, Collins was nicknamed "Crusher Collins." This was because she suggested a law to crush the cars of people who repeatedly drove dangerously. She said she wanted to bring back "deterrence" to stop bad behavior.

Minister of Justice

In 2012, Collins made some changes to legal aid. This is help for people who cannot afford a lawyer. She reduced charges for some cases. She also made it easier to get legal aid for less serious crimes.

Challenges and Return to Cabinet

In 2014, Collins faced some challenges. She resigned from her Cabinet roles. She asked for an investigation to clear her name. The investigation later found that she had done nothing wrong.

In December 2015, she returned to Cabinet. She was given her old jobs as Minister of Corrections and Police.

Leadership Campaign

In 2016, Prime Minister John Key resigned. Collins announced she wanted to become the new leader of the National Party. However, she later withdrew from the race. Bill English became the new leader.

In 2016, she was sworn in as a minister again. She took on new roles like Minister of Revenue and Minister of Energy and Resources.

In Opposition (2017–2023)

Leadership Campaigns

After the National Party lost the 2017 election, they moved into opposition. In 2018, Bill English resigned as leader. Collins again announced she wanted to lead the party. She said strong leadership was needed. However, Simon Bridges won the leadership role.

On 14 July 2020, Collins was elected as the leader of the National Party. This happened after Todd Muller resigned. She became the second woman to lead the National Party.

Leader of the Opposition (2020–2021)

Collins led the National Party into the 2020 election. The Labour Party won by a large amount. The National Party lost many seats. Collins kept her own seat in Papakura.

In 2021, Collins confirmed that the National Party would run candidates in the Māori electorates.

In June 2021, Collins supported the government's apology for the Dawn Raids of the 1970s. These raids unfairly targeted Pasifika communities. She said it was right to acknowledge this historic discrimination.

In November 2021, Collins was removed as leader of the National Party. This happened after a vote by her fellow MPs. Christopher Luxon was later elected as the new party leader.

Shadow Cabinet Roles (2021–2023)

In January 2023, Collins was given more important roles in Christopher Luxon's shadow cabinet. She became the spokesperson for "Foreign Direct Investment" and "Digitising Government."

National Government Minister (2023–Present)

Collins (right) and Marsden Fund Council Chair Gillian Dobbie at an event to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the Marsden Fund

In the 2023 election on 14 October, Collins won her Papakura seat again. She had a large lead over her opponent.

On 27 November 2023, Collins took on seven ministerial jobs in the new government. These included Attorney-General and Minister of Defence. She also became Minister for Digitising Government and Minister for Space. Collins is the first woman to be the Minister of Defence. She holds the most jobs among the ministers. In December, she was appointed King's Counsel. This recognized her career and her important role for the Crown.

In January 2025, Collins also took over the public services job from Nicola Willis. Shane Reti took over her science, innovation, and technology role.

Minister for the GCSB

In December 2023, Collins, as the GCSB Minister, joined New Zealand's allies. They condemned Russia for cyber attacks on British public figures.

Attorney-General

In December 2023, Collins confirmed six new judicial appointments. These included judges for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and High Court.

In October 2024, Collins gave a speech at Western Sydney University. She talked about legal challenges in the world. After her speech, she was named an adjunct professor at the university's law school.

In June 2025, a lawyer sued Collins, as Attorney-General, and former Speaker Trevor Mallard. This was on behalf of a child who was at a protest on Parliament grounds in 2022. The lawsuit claims the child's rights were breached.

Minister of Defence

Collins (second from the left) upon signing the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between New Zealand and the Philippines at Malacañang Palace in Manila on 30 April 2025. Philippine President Bongbong Marcos (center) witnessed the signing.

In January 2024, Collins supported airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen. These forces were disrupting shipping. She said it was a good example of countries working together for security.

In February 2024, Collins confirmed that New Zealand soldiers would continue training Ukrainian soldiers. This deployment was extended to June 2025. The training will also include combat first aid and engineering.

In November 2024, Collins canceled holiday leave for some military staff. This was to cover for striking security guards at military bases. A group called Mission Homefront criticized this decision.

In April 2025, Collins announced a large investment in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). This will be NZ$12 billion over four years. In May, she confirmed NZ$2 billion would be used to buy new helicopters for the Royal New Zealand Navy.

In April 2025, Collins visited Manila. She signed an agreement with the Philippine Defense Secretary. This agreement allows New Zealand and Philippine forces to train together. Collins said this was important because of security changes in the Indo-Pacific region.

In June 2025, Collins supported the "Golden Dome" missile defense system. She said it was for defense, not attack. This system involves a company recently bought by New Zealand's Rocket Lab.

In July 2025, Collins announced the creation of a new space force unit for the NZDF. It is called No. 62 Squadron RNZAF.

Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology

In August 2024, Collins announced new laws. These laws would allow genetic modification and genetic engineering outside of labs. This new law will be similar to Australia's. A national regulator will manage the risks.

In December 2024, Collins announced changes to research funding. The government will stop funding humanities and social science research grants. The focus will be on "core sciences" like physics and chemistry. This is to help economic growth and technology.

Privileges Committee Chairperson

Collins is the Chairperson of Parliament's Privileges Committee. In this role, she led proceedings against three Te Pāti Māori MPs. These MPs had performed a haka during a debate in December 2024. The committee found the MPs in contempt of Parliament. They were suspended for a period of time.

Political Views

Collins is seen as a conservative politician. She is known for her strong views on law and order. She has praised former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Collins has had different views on LGBT issues. In 2004, she voted against a law that created civil unions. She said it was a "second best" option for gay couples. In 2013, however, she voted for the law that allowed same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.

In June 2021, Collins defended a group called Speak Up For Women. This group has certain views on women's rights.

In August 2021, Collins called for a public vote on using Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand) in official documents.

See also

In Spanish: Judith Collins para niños