Chadwick Steve: General Debate 
Chadwick Steve: General Debate 
[Volume:631;Page:3153] 
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 The focus of our debate today is on leadership. After a week of Opposition bungling and botch-ups I want to talk about another little starlet who is lurking in the leader’s shadow and who the Opposition needs to be very mindful of. From dead man walking to Pakeha woman squawking—yes I am talking about the actions of Judith Collins on the Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice North visit on 15 May. I was there and I took deep offence at what I observed. I am talking about “Calamity Collins”. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: The member must always refer to all members by their correct name. 
STEVE CHADWICK 
: I withdraw and apologise. I am talking about Judith Collins. The incident was no surprise to any of us in Government. The overt deliberate and stage-managed actions of that member and her subsequent bathing in the media light show a member who is absolutely desperate for power at any price. 
We received an email on 4 May stating: “We agreed that the centres would be told we did not want a powhiri if women MPs were seated at the back. Has this been relayed to those organising the visit?”. Who agreed? It was not us. The issue never came to the select committee and I personally would have taken offence at that suggestion. Members should be real about this. I knew there would be a powhiri; it was on the programme. 
Since that member’s visit to Kelvin Road School her stance has provoked healthy debate and plenty of attention. I met Maria Tiini the Regional Director of Te Puni Kokiri on 2 December after that incident to seek assurance that I as a Pakeha woman MP in Rotorua had never offended Te Arawa. I was advised of the difference between kawa and policy and what happened at that Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice North visit was departmental policy. At that time we were not aware of the protocol on that marae. We were on a marae and Judith Collins does not seem to understand that. Her attempts to negotiate or arrange protocol went terribly wrong. She tried to dictate where members could sit. Maori will adjust protocol if it is negotiated in good favour. 
I ask members whether her actions were those of a role model for women. I think those in the National Party need to sit up and take notice. Mrs Collins is an example of everything that is wrong with the National Party. She shows two faces she is inconsistent and she is a reflection of the absolute lack of leadership and control in that caucus. Judith Collins was busting for a rumble that day. She was clumsily hiding behind the belief that she had organised the protocol. This was never going to be a no-surprises visit and I have not spoken out until now. If Judith Collins cannot take the heat she should get out of the kitchen. We stood outside the marae and she knew there would be a powhiri. Why did she not go away if she knew she was going to cause offence? 
This is the self-same member who overstepped the line of decency with her David Benson-Pope allegations. It is the same Judith Collins who said to the  
Sunday Star-Times 
: “I’d often be in tears saying goodbye to the bobby calves. I couldn’t do it—I’m just a big softy wimp.” Well her tears in our select committee were not those of a wimp; they were the tears of a woman with calamity all around her. That woman shed crocodile tears that day. Will the real woman express herself? Is this the woman who was relentless ruthless and determined in her exposure of David Benson-Pope and in her attempts to undermine Lianne Dalziel? We will not forget that. Bullies like to dish out dirt and abuse but cannot take a challenge. There was no wimp there. 
Referring back to the marae whether boots were on or off was irrelevant to us. That member’s gloves were on and when things turned to custard she went to the media and bleated. Judith Collins walked to the front and sat down absolutely deliberately and she stuck to the chair like a piece of Velcro. Brownie Rauwherohas already spoken out. He was not at all upset about where she sat; he was absolutely upset about the MPs’ actions during a haka performed by children at the event and that was what made him respond. He said that those children who came from troubled backgrounds were showing their mana and standing tall during that performance. Those women MPs let themselves and their colleagues down. It was a disgrace.