Judith Collins today met with Nik Given, the man who inked the National Party leader onto his leg.
The tattoo has Collins recreating her infamous 2011 firearms training picture, but instead holding a golden gun, with the New Zealand flag behind her.
Underneath it says, ‘Crusher Collins’.
The pair, alongside Given’s partner Mel and MP Tim van de Molen, met at a Matamata cafe.
“Don’t worry about the media,” Collins told them. “If they bite you, I’ll bite them back.”
Of the tattoo, Collins said she particularly liked the golden gun.
Nik got the tattoo earlier this month, telling 1 NEWS he decided to get Collins inked as he is a “staunch National supporter and I love what Judith stands for”.
“Had to be a few a few whiskeys to get me through,” he told Collins today.
Nik said the tattoo symbolised freedom, and took around six hours.
They began talking about the Covid-19 lockdown measures, with Collins saying she was concerned “how quickly some people got into the mode of telling on others”.
The National leader says it has spurred her to have a rethink of her views on tattoos.
“Where’s the Kiwi way?” Nik asked.
“Apparently it’s dobbing in people,” Collins replied. “It worried me, you do it for stuff that is serious.”
Mel spoke to Collins about her new interest in politics, spurred after enduring a rough time during lockdown.
“I’ve never been into politics until this year, but this year it means something to me,” she said.
“I had a horrible time during lockdown.”
Mel said she had a chronic illness and wasn’t able to see a specialist.
“It put me into a very dark place. For me it’s a case we need a better way forward.
“There was a lot of people who weren’t fine.”
Nik also praised Collins' performance during last night's first TVNZ leaders' debate.
The Labour Party leader was asked about a National fan getting Judith Collins inked on his thigh.
Labour's Jacinda Ardern, who was also in Waikato today, said she probably knew the artist, given it was done in her home town - Morrinsville - at Famous Dave’s Tattoo Studio.
She did not encourage anyone to get a tattoo of her, on their thigh or anywhere else.
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