Beehive Diaries: Which MP went back to school?

National leader Judith Collins took a directors' course last month. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Parliament went into an unexpected recess this week, mourning the death of the Queen.

Beehive Diaries did not go into recess however, and continues to keep watch on all weird and wonderful goings on from Parliament.

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The death of the Queen has thrown the plans of dozens of world leaders into chaos, among them Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Leaders were meant to be heading to New York City for the first in-person United Nations leaders week since the pandemic. Ardern will still be heading to New York, but later, meaning she'll miss Air New Zealand's inaugural direct flight to the city, which departed on Saturday afternoon.

She'll also miss a flash cocktail party on a New York rooftop bar hosted by the airline to promote the route. Famously nightlife-friendly Mayor of New York Eric Adams will be in attendance, as will Six60.

Filling Ardern's spot on the trip will be tourism minister Stuart Nash - the lucky recipient of a ministerial upgrade to Ardern's business class trip. Nash will enjoy what Air New Zealand is billing as a "velvet carpet" experience before the flight, where travellers will gather in the Auckland Koru Lounge for a New York-themed party before takeoff.

One thing on the minds of many travellers was what to wear to a party before a 16 and a half hour flight?

Training

It's never a bad thing to do a bit of upskilling. Former National leader Judith Collins is certainly a believer in the importance of education.

While in Government, she completed a course at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government on leadership decision making, and a graduate diploma at Massey on occupational health and safety (she finished that in 2020).

Collins added another course to her CV last month, completing an Institute of Directors NZ advanced directors course.

Now these courses can suggest someone is preparing to move into the world of well-paid board appointments, but Collins said it's nothing of the sort.

"This will be important when we are in government next year and our ministers will be expected to be ready to govern, including being up to date."

Collins said she had "a lifelong commitment to learning, this is part of that".

Collins noted her colleague Chris Bishop, who will be chairing National's election campaign next year, did a similar course for the same reason.