Paula Bennett

In the 2005 general election Bennett stood as the National Party candidate for the Waitakere seat, with a ranking of 45th on National's party list. She failed to win Waitakere,[10] but entered Parliament as a list MP.[11] National did not have sufficient parliamentary support to form a government.

In opposition, Bennett was appointed National's associate spokesperson for welfare and liaison to the community and voluntary sector under Don Brash from 2005 to 2006 and associate spokesperson for education (early childhood education) under John Key from 2006 to 2008.[12][8]

In the 2008 election, she unseated Waitakere MP Lynne Pillay, winning the seat with a majority of 632.[13] Bennett was appointed to several cabinet roles in the new National-led government.

Bennett as Deputy Prime Minister, with Prime Minister Bill English, 2016

As a senior minister in the Fifth National Government, Bennett was best known for leading social welfare reforms as Minister of Social Development from 2008 to 2014. During that time she was also Minister of Youth Affairs (2008–2013), Minister for Disability Issues (2008–2009), and Associate Minister of Housing (2013–14).[12] In the government's third term, she was Minister of State Services (2014–2017), Minister of Social Housing (2014–2016), Associate Minister of Finance (2014–2016), Minister of Local Government (2014–2015) and Minister for Climate Change Issues (2015–2017) before becoming Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Women, Minister of Police, and Minister of Tourism (2016–2017).

Bennett's appointment as Minister of Social Development and Employment after the 2008 election was regarded by some commentators as a "surprise."[14][15] She had been ranked at 41st on the party list prior to the election and the social development portfolio had previously been held by senior MP Judith Collins. It was expected that Bennett's background as a former beneficiary would give the portfolio a "softer face" than under Collins, who was instead appointed Minister of Police and Minister of Corrections.[15]

Bennett faced criticism in enacting welfare reform during her first and second terms in government, especially around her previous use of government support programs. Scrutiny came from both members of parliament and from people on government incomes. In particular, the Training Incentive Allowance (TIA) was abolished under her leadership, after she had received this allowance herself as a student,[16] and the requirement for single parents in receipt of the domestic purposes benefit was changed, with beneficiaries having to look for part-time work when their child turned six instead of eighteen.[17] Bennett had her first child at 17 and was at times on a domestic purposes benefit. In response to criticisms, Bennett said that times were different 25 years later, and that beneficiaries get more (in 2012) than they did when she was in similar need.[18]

In the 2011 election, Bennett again stood for the Waitakere seat, and secured an election night majority of 349 votes.[19] After the routine counting of special votes 10 days later, the result had swung towards Labour candidate Carmel Sepuloni. Bennett was subsequently declared the winner after a judicial recount.[20] Carmel Sepuloni was not placed high enough on Labour's list to remain an MP and was ousted from Parliament as a result of her loss.[21]

The 2013/14 electoral boundary review saw Bennett's Waitakere electorate abolished in favour of two new electorates in western Auckland, Kelston and Upper Harbour. At the 2014 election, Bennett stood for the Upper Harbour seat and won with a majority of 9,692 votes.[22]

National won a third term of government in 2014. Prime Minister John Key suggested prior to the announcement of the new Cabinet that Bennett would leave the social development portfolio and instead be given a financial or economic role.[23][24] Bennett was eventually announced as the highest-ranking female Cabinet minister, holding the State Services, Social Housing, and Local Government portfolios.[25] She was also Associate Minister of Finance and Associate Minister of Tourism. From December 2015, she became Minister for Climate Change Issues.[26]

John Key resigned the leadership of the National Party in December 2016. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by Bill English. Bennett was appointed National's deputy leader and sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister on 12 December 2016. She held this role, as well as the State Services, Women, Tourism, Police and Climate Change Issues Cabinet portfolios, for the remainder of the term of government.[12]

During the 2017 election, Bennett contested the Upper Harbour seat for a second time and was re-elected with a majority of 9,556 votes.[27]

National did not have sufficient parliamentary support to continue in government after the 2017 election. Bennett continued as National's deputy leader under Simon Bridges after Bill English retired in 2018 and was the party's spokesperson for social investment and social services, women and drug reform.[28] Bennett has argued that the government's drug reform policy needs to consider health, education, and justice.[29][30]

In mid-August 2019, Bennett announced her intention not to contest Upper Harbour in 2020 and run as a list-only candidate. She was also named as National's 2020 election campaign manager.[31][32]

While Parliament was adjourned in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bennett was a member of the Epidemic Response Committee, a select committee that considers the government's response to the pandemic.[33]

Following a Newshub-Reid research poll released on 18 May 2020 which returned a low approval rating for the National Party and its leader Simon Bridges, Bennett as deputy leader was challenged by Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye. Bridges' leadership of National was contested by Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller.[34] A leadership vote was held during an emergency National Party caucus on 22 May, in which Bridges and Bennett were defeated by Muller and Kaye, who assumed the positions of leader and deputy leaders of the party.[8][35]

Bennett was subsequently ranked at 13 in Muller's Shadow Cabinet, and on 29 June she announced that she would retire from politics at the general election in September.[36] On 2 July, Bennett's former Women and Drug Reform portfolios were assumed by Nikki Kaye and Amy Adams respectively.[37][38]

As Social Development Minister, Bennett had been criticised by opponents for a "hardline" approach to benefit policies. When Bennett revealed that solo mothers could take home more than $1000 per week in government support, two women, Natasha Fuller and Jennifer Johnston, came forward to reveal parts of their own benefit allowances, and criticised the Government's policy of abolishing the Training Initiative Allowance (TIA).[41] In response, Bennett released full details of the two women's benefits.[42]

When challenged by opposition parties and the media on this revelation of private details, Bennett said she believed she had "implied consent" for the release of the information based on the women releasing their own details.[16][43] The Green Party labeled the act as "beneficiary bashing", while Labour's social welfare spokesperson Annette King likened it to Robert Muldoon's government, when anyone speaking out against government policy "was hit over the head with a political sledge hammer."[44] Labour MP Charles Chauvel said he would lay a complaint on behalf of the women,[45] and Fuller said she would proceed with a complaint.[41]

Bennett apologised to Johnston personally for the public reaction to the figures, but not for releasing the women's details, and after talking to Johnston said she would investigate the idea raised by Johnston for a larger loan for solo parents to cover study costs. Johnston also apologised to Bennett, telling the media "I was pretty angry yesterday. I don't bear her any ill will." Johnston also said that the privacy breach was of little concern, suggesting that it was not hard to find out what sort of benefits a woman in her position would be eligible for. Fuller rejected the offer to talk with Bennett.[46][47]

The Privacy Commissioner investigated Bennett's actions after receiving a complaint from Fuller, and later referred the matter to the Director of Human Rights Proceedings for the Human Rights Commission.[48] In August 2012, the director announced the resolution of the complaint, saying, "On the basis of the Minister’s letter to me, I have agreed to close my file. The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties."[49]

When TV3 News reported in April 2010 that Bennett had paid Fuller to settle the privacy dispute, both parties rejected this claim.[50] Later, after the Human Rights Commission's resolution in 2012, answering an OIA request, Bennett gave the same response, stating "I made no private settlement with Ms Fuller as I do not accept that I breached her privacy."[51]

In May 2009, Bennett appointed the controversial Christine Rankin as Families Commissioner; her term ended in 2013.[52]

In November 2012, a week after unemployment was reported at 7.3 percent – a 13-year high – Bennett read out job listings in Parliament, claiming there were "300 jobs" available at retailer The Warehouse, if anyone wanted them, as well as 40 jobs at retailer Bunnings. The Warehouse refuted this claim, saying it only had 30 jobs available, and Bunnings only had three advertised.[53]

In October 2017, prior to the Christchurch mosque shootings, Bennett rejected 12 of 20 recommendations from a select committee inquiry into the illegal possession of firearms.[54] This decision was criticised at the time by New Zealand's Police Association president Chris Cahill who lamented to news website Stuff that "the opportunity was missed and you know what it's going to take to bring it on the table again, and unfortunately that's a tragedy."[55]