Editing Matt Robson (section)

===Member of Parliament===
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{{NZ parlbox|term=45th|start={{NZ election link year|1996}}|end=1999|electorate=List|list=7|party=Alliance (New Zealand political party)}}
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Robson was elected to Parliament as an Alliance [[list MP]] in the {{NZ election link|1996}}, and again in the {{NZ election link|1999}}, having stood in {{NZ electorate link|Maungakiekie}}, and coming in third place at both elections. In the Labour-Alliance coalition government (1999–2002), Robson was [[Minister of Corrections (New Zealand)|Minister of Corrections]], [[Minister for Courts]], [[Minister for Land Information (New Zealand)|Minister for Land Information]], and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (with responsibility for [[foreign aid]]). Towards the end of 1999, however, the Alliance began to collapse, with a rift opening between the party organisation and its parliamentary leadership. In this dispute, Robson sided with the parliamentary leader, Anderton. When Anderton finally left the Alliance and established the Progressive Coalition (later renamed as the [[Jim Anderton's Progressive Party|Progressive Party]]), Robson followed him and became the new party's deputy leader. In the {{NZ election link|2002}}, the Progressives only won 1.7% of the vote.  However, Anderton easily held onto his seat, allowing Robson (standing in {{NZ electorate link|Manukau East}}, where he came fifth), as the 2nd-ranked person on the Progressive list, to return to Parliament.  However, the Progressives' strength was considerably weaker compared to that of the Alliance in 1999, so Robson lost his cabinet posts.

Robson has a relatively high public profile, compared to the size of his party, and is known for his views on foreign affairs and justice. Along with the [[Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand|Green Party]]'s [[Keith Locke]], Robson campaigned on behalf of detained asylum-seeker [[Ahmed Zaoui]]. In 2002, Robson introduced a Private Member's bill providing for four weeks of paid annual leave for all workers, a proposal that the Labour Party initially opposed. Robson's legislation, however, ultimately forced Labour to either vote in favour of the bill or risk alienating its trade union supporters, who vociferously advocated it. The legislation was passed into law with Labour's support and took effect in 2007. Robson also introduced legislation to raise the minimum alcohol purchasing age to 20, and in Parliament espoused policies to combat drug and alcohol abuse.

In the {{NZ election link|2005}}, the Progressive vote collapsed further, and this time was not enough for Robson to remain in Parliament. He returned to practising law. In the {{NZ election link|2008}} he was again a candidate in {{NZ electorate link|Maungakiekie}}, but did poorly, finishing fifth, with 2.22% of the vote.<ref>[http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-25.html Maungakiekie results 2008.] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20081112063601/http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-25.html |date=12 November 2008 }}</ref> The Progressives received just under one percent of the party vote, not enough for Robson to be returned to Parliament.<ref>[http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html Party results, 2008.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209051141/http://2008.electionresults.govt.nz/partystatus.html |date=9 February 2009 }}</ref> At the [[2009 Mount Albert by-election]] Robson campaigned for Labour candidate [[David Shearer]].{{sfn|Grant|2022|p=419}}

On 14 July 2022, Robson had the rare distinction of appearing twice, in positions 47 and 72, in the list of politicians, academics, activists promoting Russian propaganda published by the Ukraine Government.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://cpd.gov.ua/reports/%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%96%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8-%D1%8F%D0%BA%D1%96-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%82%D1%8C-%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%96%D0%B2%D0%B7%D0%B2%D1%83%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%96-%D1%80%D0%BE/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804135517/https://cpd.gov.ua/reports/%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%96%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8-%D1%8F%D0%BA%D1%96-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%82%D1%8C-%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%96%D0%B2%D0%B7%D0%B2%D1%83%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%96-%D1%80%D0%BE/ | archive-date=4 August 2022 | title=Спікери, які просувають співзвучні російській пропаганді наративи | date=14 July 2022 }}</ref>