NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Budget 2025
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Judith Collins blasts 'ridiculous' TVNZ Breakfast interview with Indira Stewart

NZ Herald
31 Aug, 2021 07:32 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Judith Collins fires back at Breakfast presenter Indira Stewart's questioning over vaccines and MP's being Covid-19 tested before returning to parliament. Video / TVNZ

A Breakfast television interview with National Party leader Judith Collins dissolved into a barely audible shouting session this morning as she took umbrage at being questioned over her decision to travel to attend Parliament.

Appearing on TVNZ's Breakfast this morning Collins was asked to comment on her call to attend Parliament in person - travelling to Wellington from her home in Auckland - despite the national lockdown.

Presenter Indira Stewart asked the MP why she felt she was entitled to travel when thousands of other New Zealanders were staying home to prevent the spread of the deadly Delta variant of Covid-19.

Collins has faced increasing criticism for flying to Wellington yesterday after National and Act refused to support a further suspension of sittings while New Zealand was in lockdown.

They also refused to support a virtual Parliament.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

On Breakfast Collins reiterated that her work was essential and she was entitled to travel to carry out her role.

She said she had been at home in isolation for two weeks, was fully vaccinated, was a meticulous contact tracing app user and that she had not been to any of the listed locations of interest.

The interview became heated as Stewart pressed her further on the decision, with Collins raising her voice and demanding the same questions be asked of the Prime Minister.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She fired up further when Stewart questioned whether she'd had a Covid-19 test before travelling.

"Why is this all about me today?" Collins exclaimed.

"Oh come on Indira this is ridiculous."

The pair proceeded to speak over each other for several minutes - Stewart trying to ask further questions on a range of subjects including the vaccine roll-out and the Pacific community and Collins trying to answer.

Discover more

New Zealand

PM vows to reassess risk in south

31 Aug 07:09 PM
New Zealand

Kiwis flock to fast food outlets at dawn of alert level 3

31 Aug 07:10 PM
Airlines

Complexities of getting our food on to shop shelves in lockdown

31 Aug 07:07 PM
New Zealand

Urgent work at Auckland hospital to prepare for Covid patients

31 Aug 06:19 PM

At times neither woman could be heard properly.

Collins said criticism of her for travelling was "a political attack".

"Parliament is simply not a 'nice to have'... it's essential in a democracy," she said.

"Ask the Prime Minister, Indira, why she is here every day - why isn't she doing it from home?

"The answer is, it's an important job, and so is the Opposition."

Collins then accused Stewart of "being more interested in talking about me than the vaccines".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And they butted heads further when Stewart asked Collins what she had done to help the Pacific community in terms of the vaccine roll-out.

"You know fully well I am deeply involved in the Pacific community... my husband's Pasifika, I talk to him every day, and also I have contacts in the Pacific community," she said.

The over-talking and raised voices continued in the 11 minute interview before Stewart cut the Opposition leader off.

"I enjoyed that, thank you Indira," Collins said.

However seconds later the frustrated MP was taking to Twitter to post about her annoyance with the interview.

We have over 500 cases of Delta in NZ. Over three quarters of the population are not fully vaccinated, we do not have enough vaccines to meet “demand” and yet @Breakfaston1 and Indira want to waste everyone’s time attacking the Opposition for doing our job.

— NZ National Party (@NZNationalParty) August 31, 2021
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

'Stop it': Denzel Washington's tense exchange with snapper at film premiere

20 May 07:58 AM
Entertainment

Man of the Year, duct tape and denim – Lorde teases favourite song from new album

20 May 02:27 AM
World

Diddy trial: Ventura's former best friend alleges hammer, choking incidents

19 May 10:30 PM

Sponsored: How much is too much?

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

'Stop it': Denzel Washington's tense exchange with snapper at film premiere

'Stop it': Denzel Washington's tense exchange with snapper at film premiere

20 May 07:58 AM

The actor's new film, Highest 2 Lowest, received a standing ovation at Cannes.

Man of the Year, duct tape and denim – Lorde teases favourite song from new album

Man of the Year, duct tape and denim – Lorde teases favourite song from new album

20 May 02:27 AM
Diddy trial: Ventura's former best friend alleges hammer, choking incidents

Diddy trial: Ventura's former best friend alleges hammer, choking incidents

19 May 10:30 PM
Tragic loss: TikTok star's son dies after pool accident

Tragic loss: TikTok star's son dies after pool accident

19 May 07:19 PM
Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year
sponsored

Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP