Judith Collins: Privileges Committee Chair on the Te Pati Māori punishment debate, comments from Chris Hipkins

The chair of the Privileges Committee wants Labour's Leader to apologise. 

Chris Hipkins told TVNZ Judith Collins had publicly condemned “uncivilised behaviour from indigenous people” in relation to Te Pati Māori's actions. 

Judith Collins told Mike Hosking she never said that. 

She says it’s entirely wrong for him to have said that, and she’s called on him to apologise and apparently he’s going to think about it.  

The debate on the proposed punishments for the three Te Pati Māori MPs was moved to June 5 - to leave this week free for the Budget. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So it had a touch of the Turkish peace talks.
I thought about it, didn't. I mean, a lot of
build up to the big day, the big event, only
for the government to go for the adjournment on the
privileges debate around the Mary Party. So we're back to
at June five, tomorrow Fortnight Privileges Committee cheer. Judith Collins
is with us. Very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning mate.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
A couple of new things, if you wouldn't mind. Chris
Hopkins suggested you said uncivilized behavior from indigenous people.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Did you No, absolutely not. I think he was referring
to my interview with you last Tuesday when I said
there is a lack of stability now and it's not acceptable.
It's entirely wrong for Hipkins to have done that, and
I've called on him to apologize, and apparently he's going
to think about it.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, he owes you an apology because if you didn't
say it, you didn't say it, and he suggested you did.
He started walking it back, saying you'd heard about it
in the media, et cetera. So he's got that wrong, right.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
He has absolutely got it wrong.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Palm Jeet Palmer, who's the act member of the committee
is the one who wanted in prison time or to
investigate the possibility of prison time. Does that make it
political from the committee's point of view, or was she
genuinely looking for context as to what the Privileges Committee
can potentially do.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well, I know that people were genuinely looking right across
the borders all the options, and there's nothing wrong with
asking what are the options? Because from her point of view,
I think she's just saying, well, I've heard that these
are some of the things. Why you know, on what
basis would that be possible? But also what are the
old range of options? There's nothing wrong with look at

(01:36):
the options. The problem is, of course, is that married
party wouldn't apologize, wouldn't you only married partyship, So it's
only three of them, wouldn't do anything, wouldn't meet us
at all. And of course their behavior those three in
Pas in particular, was so bad that day that certainly
I've never seen it before. Winston never seen it before,

(01:59):
no one's seen it before.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
I thought. I thought Hipkins made a reasonable fist of
the debate yesterday after your opening, with the exception that
the examples he gave of people beating each other up
in the lobbies and tractors being driven up the steps.
None of it's happened on the floor of Parliament. Interrupting
a vote in a business of the day, has it?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yes, No, it has not. And I think you know
Hipkins are showing that he likes to talk. Actually, the
other examples he gave was Julian Genta, and Juliane Genta
did not do anything at all as egregious as what
happened that day. She didn't interrupt the vote, Telly, she didn't.

(02:37):
She didn't actually threaten people with the with a gun
sign and she you know, there's lots of it. And
also she very quickly apologized and she showed contrition when
this was an entirely different situation. So there was obviously
always attempts on the committee to compromise. And but you

(03:00):
saw what Pipkins was offering yesterday, which was one day
suspension for wait Tea and one day you can't.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Work it out what you don't want to be within
a million miles of the Marray party. Why why is
he playing boot lawyer?

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Well, I presume he thinks that that's that's who you'll
go into business with. Should he get an opportunity of
being government. I mean that's there's also, of course the
very close relationship with Woody Jackson and John timmer Herry
who was the president of the Murray Party.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
I think that's it, okay, completely out of left field
and just for the fun of it. I note in
your pecuniary list of gifts you you've got a chairman's
lounge pass for Quantas. Is it worth it?

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Well, I've been able to use once and it is.
Actually it's quite nice. Yeah, good, you.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
Can have to talk to you appreciate Judith Collins. I'm
going to go through the list throughout the morning, but
she got a chairman's lane parts of the Quantus Quantus
chairman's lounge apparently is likely placed to be and very
few people get it. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
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