After moving from Auckland to Wellington, when her father became a cabinet minister, Tizard began studying politics at Victoria University and got a job in the Labour Party Research Unit from 1976 to 1977. She became more enthusiastic about her work, spending more time in that than study before returning to Auckland and working as a cook in a restaurant owned by one of her friends.[3] She was elected a member of the Auckland Electric Power Board in 1977, remaining a member until 1983.[4] Her mother commented that it was "...another telling demonstration of the power of a recognisable name on a ticket. As she (Judith) said herself, who in their right mind would elect a 21-year-old barmaid to run a power board? That's how she had described herself on the ticket."[3]
Later, Tizard finished her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History from the University of Auckland.[5] She became a waitress, restaurant owner, and manager of O'Connells Restaurant on O'Connell St in Auckland (1978–1982), and was involved in the catering industry (1981–1984).[2] In 1986 she stood unsuccessfully for a seat on the Auckland City Council in 1986 in the central ward, but narrowly missed out on election.[6] She was elected a member of the Auckland Regional Council in 1988. She was re-elected in 1989 before resigning in 1991.[4]
Tizard stood unsuccessfully for the safe National seat of Remuera in the 1981 election. She was an electorate secretary in the Mount Albert electorate for Helen Clark from 1984 to 1987.[2] In 1986 Tizard sought the Labour nomination for the seat of Papatoetoe, but lost out to Ross Robertson.[7] At the 1987 election she contested Remuera again, reducing the majority of Doug Graham to just 406. From 1987 to 1990 she was an electorate secretary in the Panmure electorate for her father. From 1987 to 1989 she was vice-president of the Auckland Regional Council of the Labour Party.[2]
On his retirement she succeeded her father as Labour's candidate for Panmure. She entered Parliament at the 1990 election and in November 1990 she was appointed Labour's spokesperson for Immigration and Arts & Culture by Labour leader Mike Moore.[8] After being re-elected in 1993, she shifted her candidacy to Auckland Central, which she won in the 1996 election, defeating Sandra Lee. In 1993, Tizard was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal.[9] In 1999, Tizard served as the Minister assisting the Prime Minister on Auckland issues, which would develop into the portfolio of Minister for Auckland Issues in 2002.[10]
She became a Minister outside of Cabinet, serving as Minister of Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Associate Minister of Transport, Associate Minister of Commerce, and Minister responsible for Archives New Zealand and the National Library.
Before the 2008 general election Tizard was given the list placing of 38, a relatively low one for a minister. She was then defeated in her electorate by National's Nikki Kaye by a margin of 1,497 votes.[11] Her list placing meant she would not return to parliament unless Labour list MPs quit.[12]
In 2008 Tizard championed an amendment to the Copyright Act, which required internet service providers (ISPs) to develop policies to terminate the Internet account of repeat copyright infringers. She defended this position when meeting Internet lobby groups, saying it is necessary to protect New Zealand artists, and referred to the release of New Zealand film Sione's Wedding, which, she claimed, was damaged by unlawful distribution on the Internet.[citation needed]
On 16 October 2008, a press release[15] was published by Tizard responding to "alarmist claims made by a small group of IT commentators in the media that recent amendments to the Copyright Act would have ISPs cutting off the accounts of their users based on unsubstantiated accusations of copyright infringement. [...] This is quiet [sic] simply untrue, and I am sure they know it." That press release seems to have been retracted.[16]
On 23 March 2009, the Prime Minister John Key announced that the law would not take effect and would be re-written.[17]
