Judith Collins calls 2020 ‘talofa’ comment backlash hysteria from ‘wet wipes’
Judith Collins was disgusted by the reaction to her infamous “talofa” comment, saying she thought it was “a lot of hysteria from a whole bunch of wet wipes”.
The longstanding National Party MP, who is leaving politics, said, “My husband is Samoan, so talofa” in response to a question during a leaders’ debate for the 2020 election.
The comment faced widespread backlash, with many claiming the former National leader “weaponised” the ethnicity of her husband, David Wong-Tung, for political gain.
Reflecting on the six-word sentence, which gained viral attention, on Ryan Bridge TODAY, Collins said she and her husband were “disgusted” by the response it received.
“Talofais a term that I use all the time. I’m actually only regretting I didn’t use it in Parliament in my valedictory [speech].
“For those people who got themselves all excited and stupid, frankly, my husband is Samoan. He was born in Samoa. He was brought up there as a child, came to New Zealand when he was 8. His first language is Samoan."
Collins said the criticism came from people who “see themselves as exceptionally progressive”.
“They were looking at me, a, you know, white woman or palagi as Samoans call [it], and they’re saying, ‘Well, she can’t use that’.”
Most Samoans can trace their family lineage back to each other because of the Pacific nation’s small population, Collins said.
“So frankly, I thought it was a lot of hysteria from a whole bunch of wet wipes who wanted to judge me. So no, I was very annoyed with them, and I still am.”
The reaction was “deeply offensive to us as a family”, she said.
Collins will wrap up a 24-year career in politics today to become the new president of the Law Commission.
The 67-year-old became leader of the National Party in 2020, while in Opposition against Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party.
National lost that year’s election as Labour achieved MMP’s first-ever single-party majority.
She was first elected to Parliament in 2002 after winning the then-Clevedon electorate seat.
She then won the Papakura electorate after Clevedon disappeared in boundary changes before the 2008 election, and has held the seat since.
During her time in Parliament, Collins earned the nickname “Crusher” after her policy of crushing cars seized from criminals.