Gower on Collins

Patrick Gower is doing a series of reports on the performance of Ministers. He starts today with Judith Collins, whom he gives an 8/10.

Frontline feel Ms Collins is on their side. On a -level, they have watched her preside over National coming good on its promise to put more police on the streets of South . She has also taken their fears about organised crime seriously, as seen in last week's joint announcement with Commissioner about seizing the proceeds of crime.

On a micro-level, she is a proud Police Minister. Her empathy with police life was noted when Senior Constable Len Snee was murdered in the Napier siege, and she recalled her own time as a “police wife” when husband David Wong Tung was in the police and she wondered whether he would come home from work or not.

I didn't realise until that siege, that Judith had been a “Police wife”.

Corrections is rated more difficult:

The Corrections portfolio has been a graveyard for many a minister, and at some point Ms Collins will have to start taking responsibility for its problems if she cannot solve them.

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