Judith Collins – Hypocrite of the Week

18
22

.

Govt must not intrude on courts

Source: Dominion Post – Govt must not intrude on courts

.

When it comes to naked hypocrisy, experience shows that National (and other rightwing) politicians excel.

Take Judith Collins’s comment in the Dominion Post on 9 August,

As Minister of Justice, I take seriously any suggestions that something went wrong in the criminal justice system. I am satisfied that there are appropriate options available to address any concerns about Pora’s case.

[…]

In the meantime, it would be constitutionally unsound for me, as a minister of the Crown, to intervene in the court process.

Say whut?!?!

Is this the same woman who, in December last year (2012) publically trashed the report from retired Canadian Judge, Ian Binnie?

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

Judge Binnie, who had been invited  – by the National-led government – to assessing possible compensation for wrongly convicted, David Bain.

She  dismissed Judge Binnie’s report as;

“Put simply, it would not be acceptable to make a recommendation to Cabinet based on a report that would not withstand the considerable scrutiny it would attract.

[…]

“Let me be very clear that I do not expect unsolicited reports which I have received two of in the last two months to be compensated for.”

[…]

I am very concerned that there has been this delay. It would not have been possible for me to have put forward a recommendation based on a report that I believe would not stand up to public scrutiny.”

source

“The list of errors in Mr Binnie’s report is extensive, and according to Dr Fisher could be vulnerable to judicial review.”

source

And there was more. Collins’ unprofessional behaviour and outrageous public statements were not only an insult to a respected member of the Canadian judiciary – but in effect she made New Zealand a laughing stock of the international judicial community. It will be a brave member of a foreign judiciary who takes up any future government invitation to impartially assess an issue in our country.

So for Collins to say with a straight face that it would be  “constitutionally unsound for me, as a minister of the Crown, to intervene in the court process” – or other aspect of our judicial system for that matter – is breath-taking hypocrisy. 

But then, such sanctimonious rubbish has been the hallmark of this unstable, unprincipled,  and unpredictable government.

Judith Collins is not fit to clean public toilets much less hold the position of Minister of Justice. The term “justice” is an alien  concept to her.

Meanwhile, a man most likely innocent, rots in jail.

.

judith_collins__1135773774
Collins – Unfit to be a Minister!

.

*

.

Other Blogs

laudafinem.com:  Karam, Bain to be served Collins chilled favourite À la Carte special; “En Croute” (ON TOAST)

laudafinem.com:  Judge Judy: Collins slams Binnie’s Bain report

References

Herald on Sunday: Bain could have an enemy in the Beehive (9 December 2012)

NZ Herald: Bain report based on incorrect facts – minister (11 December 2012)

Scoop Media: Bain report: Justice Ian Binnie response to Judith Collins (12 December 2012)

Fairfax Media:  David Bain’s compo report had list of ‘errors‘ (13 December 2012)

NZ Herald: Report recommending Bain compensation is ‘flawed’ (13 December 2012)

NBR:  Bain compensation – RAW DATA – Binnie reports – Fisher Report – Judith Collins statement (13 December 2012)

.

.

= fs =

18 COMMENTS

    • Would “not fit to soil public toilets” be better?

      I always find it amusing that women like Collins and Thatcher are so popular with the right wing neanderthal types. I suspect it says something about a lack of motherly love during their formative years.

  1. Frank, I believe the Binnie report was not a court process, it was a political one, so in one respect she is correct.

    However, the hands-off approach, until all legal appeals have been exhausted, appears to be a relatively recent invention.
    In respect to the Peter Ellis case, the excuse appeared suddenly about 5 years ago despite never being used before in the long history of the case.

    Nor had Thomas been through the Privy Council, the ultimate appeal court venue, before Muldoon intervened.

    • Richard,

      Frank, I believe the Binnie report was not a court process, it was a political one, so in one respect she is correct.

      Which is why I referred to the overall process, not just the Court system,

      “constitutionally unsound for me, as a minister of the Crown, to intervene in the court process” –or other aspect of our judicial system

      • Hmm, well.

        You built your umbrage on her comment “constitutionally unsound for me, as a minister of the Crown, to intervene in the court process”

        In your reply to me you refer to the paragraph containing

        “constitutionally unsound for me, as a minister of the Crown, to intervene in the court process” –or other aspect of our judicial system …

        Which appears to inflate her statement.

        Believe me, I am no fan of Judith Collins. Her behaviour has been disgraceful over the Binnie Report and I’m sure this sentiment has been both noted and shared by many within NZ’s judiciary; as well as those overseas, a fact that you correctly highlight.

        She can’t intervene in a judicial process, but she can initiate and intervene in an executive or political process.

        • I think there’s a degree of hair-splitting going on here, Richard. My reference to “or other aspect of our judicial system” should have included any other option as it relates to our judicial system.

          This was never more highlighted than the Royal Commission of Inquiry, headed by retired New South Wales Justice Robert Taylor in 1980.

          The findings by Justice Taylor’s were sufficient for a Royal Prerogative of Mercy and subsequent pardon to mbe issued by Muldoon (one of the few good things he achieved in his life).

          Precedence has been set. It just requires the will to do it.

          Unfortunately, Collins is so pro-Police that it blinds her to the greater situation. Hence why she trashed Justice Binnie’s report on David Bain – the police heirarchy didn’t like it.

  2. In a bad week with so many fubar MP’s to pick – Good choice Frank.

    I think I agree with Mr Trotter and only the PM can sort this one now. The real question is, will he?

    • She can look reasonable for half an hour before the camera’s and unfortunately, it might be enough. You can be awful, Ga Ga and completely intoxicated for all but the hour or half hour before your in the box as Harold Wilson was in as PM in 74-76, George Brown was as his deputy in 64-8 or Hailsham was as Lord High Chancellor and chief legal officer for the last 20 years of his political career, and you can still fool most of the public and maybe still be a bit brilliant, even necessary and honest.
      Most of those who knew the inner sanctum and knew all the US Presidents since the 1950s say that the Reagans were the only nice presidential pair and people, all the other Presidents and their families where ghastly ugly people and human beings.
      The hurt, angry, vicious ugliness that Judith Collins often shows is probably a fair measure of the truth and I don’t believe she’s either a social liberal or at all a Shipley or Richardson market libertarian. Nevertheless Thatcher was a social conservative and part of her belief in the market was the belief it would restore the 1950s order and destroy the lefts liberal magazines and BBC productions of the Black Stuff and indulgent left sort. She would not have anticipated in the advanced left capitalism, would stimulate female raunch culture.
      However that’s probably being generous as there’s now way J.Collins will allow the liberal laws and economic setting that might allow this society to swing and attract goers. As long as Judith appears reasonable and restrained when under the general microscope she might sneak in. Unfortunately as the dark prince, Bridges at least is unknown and we don’t quite know where he would be venturesome.

  3. She’s definitely not fit to clean public toilets. That’s honourable work carried out by decent people earning an honest crust. If I thought Judith Collins was cleaning public loos, I’d hold on ’til I got home.

  4. As a public servant I worked in her ministerial office – until the day I arrived at work after a week’s holiday and found that I’d lost my job. (Sneaky, to do it when my back was turned). What hurts most is that to this day she has never given me an explanation! (Ironic, from one who replies to the greeting “how are you?” with her standard reply: “I’m my usual perfect self, thank you”).

    I know she has a nice fat salary, but my meagre one was important to me – a last chance to contribute to Kiwisaver before retirement – but that won’t matter a damn to her!

    Waiting for her downfall – may it be public and soon – have my front row seat booked and my knitting ready!

  5. Binnie was asked to write a report for the Minister of Justice, to help Cabinet decide on whether to offer Bain an ex gratia payment. It’s the MoJ’s report, and she’s free to do what she likes with it, up to and including binning it, and is also free to comment on the quality of the report. Pora’s case is before the courts. Much as I loathe Collins, there’s no hypocrisy evident here.

  6. 0vicula, I think its a bit of an insult to equate Thatcher with Collins. I can’t imagine that Judith would have got into Oxford in the 1940’s let alone got a good second in Chemistry. Thatcher, Rosie Hotton and my mother (physically very similar in appearance, age and academic performance to Thatcher and indeed in political view- indeed, I am sure she could have stepped into Thatchers shoes-given a couple of days briefing, and nobody in the House of Commons would have noticed) would have never let backside get out of shape. You don’t know just how offensively working class and peasant, Bennett, Collins and Bradford are flaunting their huge backside in public life in parliament. nb while my mother like my father mainly studied English at varsity, unlike him she was brilliant at Matric at Maths and Chemistry.
    In terms of law and order at a certain level Collins and even more the Police have a low cunning to read the populist and public wind of their real supporters and therefore went much easier on Bain in the second trial and Ewen McDonald that they would really have wanted too, probably also thinking Bain had suffered enough in the public mind and that futhur evidence of the likely, total corruption of the whole family which inspired a relatively simple individual like David Bain to lose his mind, was better not pointed out. After all we now nothing about Arawa Bain.
    In terms of this Maori criminal we are now being asked to release- the point is that a certain sort of ordinary people who does not appear to have done much with his life in terms of either achievement or enjoyable fast living always inspires sympathy from an ignorant and isolated NZ Public.

  7. ..”offensive working class and peasant” – Bennet & Collins. Yes.( And crass.)
    Except that Bradford (if you can forgive her for the anti smacking bill)..AT LEAST she was a decade ahead of everybody else and tried to warn us about “globalisation” way back then , when most people hadn’t a clue, and here we are today living with the results!

  8. (…I meant to add, to follow on from above that at least Bradford’s heart is in the right place….unlike Bennet and Collins ..who are straight out nasty authoritarian bully mentality

Comments are closed.