Judith Collins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Judith Collins 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
28th Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Ayesha Verrall
1st Minister for Space
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 November 2023
Prime Minister	Christopher Luxon
Preceded by	Office established
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 12 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 9th 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	13,459
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 65) 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 MP (born 24 February 1959) is a New Zealand politician who served as the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 14 July 2020 to 25 November 2021. She was the second female Leader of the National Party, after Jenny Shipley. Collins has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Papakura since 2008 and was MP for Clevedon from 2002 to 2008. She was a government minister in the cabinets of John Key and of Bill English.

Early life

Collins was born in Hamilton. Her parents were dairy farmers Percy and Jessie Collins of Walton in the Waikato and she was the youngest of six children. She attended Walton Primary School and Matamata College. In 1977 and 1978 she studied at the University of Canterbury. In 1979 she switched to the University of Auckland, and obtained first an LLB and then a LLM (Hons) and later a Master of Taxation Studies (MTaxS).

In 2020 she graduated with a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety from Massey University.

Collins was a Labour Party supporter from childhood, but by 2002 had been a member of the National Party for three years. She has been a member of Zonta International and of Rotary International.

Early career

After leaving university, she worked as a lawyer, specialising in employment, property, commercial, and tax law. She worked as a solicitor for four different firms between 1981 and 1990 and then became principal of her own firm, Judith Collins & Associates (1990–2000). In the last two years before the election to Parliament, she worked as special counsel for Minter Ellison Rudd Watts (2000–2002).

She was active in legal associations, and was President of the Auckland District Law Society (1998–1999) and Vice-President of the New Zealand Law Society (1999–2000). She served as chairperson of the Casino Control Authority (1999–2002) and was a director of Housing New Zealand Limited (1999–2001).

Political career

Collins entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2002. She was appointed to the Cabinet by Prime Minister John Key when the National Party entered government at the 2008 election. She was ranked fifth in the Cabinet and the highest-ranked woman. Collins served as Minister of Police and Minister of Corrections from 2008 to 2011 and 2015 to 2016. After the 2011 election, she was appointed Minister of Justice and Minister for the ACC. In 2014 Collins resigned.

She served under Prime Minister Bill English as Minister of Revenue and Minister of Energy and Resources from 2016 to 2017.

After the National Party left government in the 2017 election, Collins served in several shadow portfolios. She was elected to succeed Todd Muller as National Party Leader by the parliamentary caucus on 14 July 2020, becoming Leader of the Opposition. She led the party to its second-worst defeat in the party's history at the 2020 election, losing 23 seats. Collins was removed as leader of the National Party by its caucus on 25 November 2021.

Personal life

Collins met her husband, Chinese-Samoan David Wong-Tung, at university. He was then a police officer and had migrated from Samoa as a child. They have one son. Collins has described herself as a liberal Anglican.

Election history

Images for kids

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  Collins at the National War Memorial, 2010

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  Collins in 2016

See also

In Spanish: Judith Collins para niños