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Matt Robson (5 January 1950 - ) is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the Progressive Party party, being only one of two Progressive MPs in Parliament.
Robson was born in Brisbane, Australia. He studied law, and worked both as a lawyer and a teacher. He also spent three years in the Netherlands as a technical editor.
Robson was originally a member of the Labour Party, holding several positions within the party organisation. He was deeply opposed to the policies of Roger Douglas, the Labour Party's Minister of Finance, and when Jim Anderton, a Labour MP, quit the party, Robson followed him. Robson was heavily involved in the establishment of Anderton's NewLabour Party, which later became part of the Alliance.
Robson was elected to Parliament as an Alliance list MP in the 1996 elections, and again in the 1999 elections. In Labour-Alliance coalition government, lasting from 1999 to 2002, Robson was Minister of Corrections, Minister for Courts, 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 organization 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 (now the Progressive Party), Robson accompanied him. In the 2002 elections, Anderton and Robson were both returned to Parliament.
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's Keith Locke, Robson has been campaigning on behalf of detained asylum-seeker Ahmed Zaoui.
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