“I am very straightforward, people who are threatened by that will be threatened by me.”
So says Judith Collins, the new leader of New Zealand’s main opposition party, and the woman who faces the task of unseating one of the country’s most popular prime ministers, Jacinda Ardern.
In many ways, the two could not be more different. Margaret Thatcher is Collins’ political hero. “I like the fact she didn’t give up when others would have. She didn’t give in to what other people thought she should do, or be.”
Collins, 61, is a famously tough, take-no-prisoners party stalwart, nicknamed “Crusher Collins” for her desire to destroy the cherished cars of boy racers. She is also famed for her tough stance on crime, supported the introduction of Tasers to the police force, and argued for officers to have better access to firearms.
But there is another side. She is one of the more socially liberal National leaders in recent years, she loathes “all forms of racism and sexism”, voted for the legalisation of same-sex marriage, taking abortion out of the Crimes Act, and legalising euthanasia.
She is also an animal tragic who is still grieving the loss of her dog, Holly, euthanised while the country was under effective house-arrest.
The leadership of the centre-right National party has eluded Collins for years, despite her evident penchant and suitability for a leadership role.
On Tuesday – when Todd Muller unexpectedly resigned after 53 days citing health reasons – Collins claimed the top job, saying the party had decided her “strength and decisiveness” were what the party needed so close to an election and after a slew of high-profile resignations.
Collins may also be the party’s only hope against the staggering popularity of Ardern.
The daughter of Waikato dairy farmers, Collins has long been a decisive political figure in New Zealand’s otherwise somewhat beige parliament, and in her 18 years in the beehive – as the parliamentary building is known – she has never been far from the action.
In 2014, she stood down from her role as justice minister after claims she had been involved in a bid to undermine the director of the serious fraud office; she was cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to the cabinet in 2015.
She also faced criticism for promoting a New Zealand export company, Oravida, in China when the firm was owned by a close friend and her husband sat on its board. She rejected any claims of wrongdoing.
‘I am a person of confidence’
Frequently described as “mischievous”, Collins thrives in the high-pressure environment of the Beehive and appears positively gleeful in her media-stand-ups, unlike both her predecessors whose uneasiness often made them come across as defensive and unlikeable.
Collins praises Ardern as a “gifted communicator”, but she too is gifted in that arena, managing to bring a sense of confidence and playfulness to her high-pressure role.
Collins promotion to “the worst job in politics” has lit a fire under the general election, which had been shaping up to be a bland win for the incumbent, whose personal popularity remains sky high following her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We now have a fighting chance, I have energy and drive in spades,” says Collins of the upcoming election.
“I love the thrill of the challenge – I really love that. I am a person of confidence. I like to get in there and get things done. The worst thing for me is to ever be bored. I do not like to be bored.”
Collins has a sizeable challenge ahead of her. Ardern is the most popular prime minister in a century, and the Labour party are consistently polling ahead of National.
On Ardern herself Collins says: “She is a very capable communicator and she is someone who has tremendous empathy. I personally like her a lot. She has been underestimated by people for a long time. I do not underestimate her one bit.”
Collins laughs off the PM’s Time magazine cover and global recognition, saying: “I’m not easily intimidated.
“The problem she has is that she doesn’t have a record in terms of the economic crisis the country is finding itself in,” Collins says, citing her time in government when crises such as the Pike River mine disaster and the Christchurch earthquakes unfolded.
“I am much more interested in the politics of competence. Yes, kindness is excellent, the trouble is, New Zealanders are about to go into an economic crisis and the best thing New Zealanders can do kindness-wise is to be competent, and get people out of this situation.”
Collins demures from giving details on her Covid-19 recovery plan, saying her fresh team need more time, but hints that under National the borders may be looser – especially to allow businesses to bring workers in, as well as international students and tourists.
Political analysts say Collins leadership could present a serious threat to Ardern, or at the very least give her momentary pause.
“It’s make or break time for Collins,” says Claire Robinson, a political analyst and pro-vice-chancellor from Massey University. “But if anyone can demand that every member of the National party pulls their socks up to claw back the support the party held prior to the pandemic, it is her.”
Ben Thomas, a former National party press secretary, wrote in the Spinoff that in Collins, the National party had chosen “the toughest fighter in New Zealand politics.”, and “their consistently best performer”. Thomas added: “Collins is the only National MP capable of footing it one on one with Ardern.”
Collins’ recent autobiography is entitled “A memoir of a political survivor”. Once describing the Beehive as akin to a boys’ boarding school circa 1920, Collins has endured years of sexism and bullying.
She has watched the global political discourse grow ever more extreme and is grateful New Zealand remains largely insulated from the toxic political cultures erupting overseas.
“I think it’s really important that people can say what they think and what they feel, but it’s also important to not try to humiliate or downgrade people into something less than human,” says Collins. “Having been on the receiving end of that I know what that feels like and it is not acceptable”.
With less than 10 weeks of campaigning to go before the election, Collins has major policy announcements to make, and a skittish public to convince of her party’s cohesiveness.
While famed for her quick wit, and sharp tongue, the tumult of 2020 seems to have softened Collins’ edges, and her clear respect for Ardern – on a personal and professional level – hint at a respectful election, free of the mud-slinging which began trickling in under Simon Bridges’ National leadership.
“Jacinda Ardern and I have different styles, but I don’t for a moment doubt her passion for the job or dedication to the job or her passion for the country,” says Collins.
“And I hope for a moment that she doesn’t doubt mine.”
