Paula Bennett
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Paula Lee Bennett (born 9 April 1969) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 18th
deputy prime minister of New Zealand The deputy prime minister of New Zealand () is the second-most senior member of the Cabinet of New Zealand. The officeholder usually deputises for the prime minister at official functions. Since 31 May 2025, the current deputy prime minister ...
between December 2016 and October 2017. She served as the deputy leader of the
National Party National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to: Active parties * National Party of Australia, commonly known as ''The Nationals'' * Bangladesh: ** Bangladesh Nationalist Party ** Jatiya Party (Ershad) a.k.a. ''National Party (Ershad)'' * Californ ...
from 2016 to 2020 and as MP for
Upper Harbour Upper Harbour may refer to these various places in New Zealand: *Upper Harbour Bridge *Upper Harbour Local Board *Upper Harbour Motorway *Upper Harbour (New Zealand electorate) Upper Harbour is a parliamentary electorate in Auckland that returns ...
from 2014 to 2020. Bennett previously represented the electorate of Waitakere, which was abolished prior to the 2014 general election. She held the
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
portfolios of State Services, Women, Tourism, Police, and Climate Change Issues in the fifth National Government until 2017. She retired from Parliament at the 2020 general election.


Early life and career

Bennett was born on 9 April 1969 in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, New Zealand, the daughter of Bob Bennett and Lee Bennett. She has
Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...
ancestry through her
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
paternal grandmother, Ailsa Bennett. Her father had a flooring business in Auckland, then in 1974 bought the village store at Kinloch, near
Taupō Taupō (), sometimes written Taupo, is a town located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the edge of Lake Taupō, which is the largest freshwater lake in New Zealand. Taupō was constituted as a borough in 1953. It h ...
. Bennett attended Taupo-nui-a-Tia College in Taupō. At 17 she gave birth to a daughter, Ana, and raised her alone while working in hospitality and tourism-industry jobs or, at times, receiving the
Domestic Purposes Benefit The Domestic Purposes Benefit (DPB) was a social welfare payment in New Zealand's social security system, primarily given to single parents with dependent children. It, along with all other benefit payments, was managed by Work and Income, under ...
. In 1992 Bennett moved to Auckland, where she worked in a
rest home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of older people, senior citizens, or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as care homes, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms ...
, first as a kitchenhand and then as a nurse aide. She began studying
social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
at the Albany campus of
Massey University Massey University () is a Public university, public research university in New Zealand that provides internal and distance education. The university has campuses in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Wellington. Data from Universities New Zealand ...
in 1994. She became the welfare officer of the Massey University at Albany Students' Association, then, in 1996, the president, which she said gave her a taste for politics. She discontinued the social work component of her course of study, leaving simply social policy, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. After graduating, Bennett worked as an electorate secretary for
Murray McCully Murray Stuart McCully (born 19 February 1953) is a New Zealand former politician. He is a member of the National Party, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2017. Early life Born in Whangārei, McCully was educated at Arap ...
,
National Party National Party or Nationalist Party may refer to: Active parties * National Party of Australia, commonly known as ''The Nationals'' * Bangladesh: ** Bangladesh Nationalist Party ** Jatiya Party (Ershad) a.k.a. ''National Party (Ershad)'' * Californ ...
member of Parliament for
East Coast Bays East Coast Bays is an urban area along the east coast of the North Shore, New Zealand, North Shore in New Zealand. First established as independent borough during the 1950s, East Coast Bays became contiguous with the Auckland urban area and wa ...
, until the 1999 general election. She then worked as a
recruitment Recruitment is #Process, the overall process of identifying, sourcing, screening, shortlisting, and interviewing candidates for Job (role), jobs (either permanent or temporary) within an organization. Recruitment also is the process involved in ...
consultant for several years and assisted McCully in the 2002 general election campaign.


Political career


Fifth Labour Government, 2005–2008

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, but entered Parliament as a
list MP A list MP is a member of parliament (MP) elected from a party list rather than a geographic electoral district. The place in Parliament is due to the number of votes the party won, not to votes received by the MP personally. This occurs only in ...
. 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 Donald Thomas Brash (born 24 September 1940) is a former New Zealand politician who was Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the New Zealand National Party, leader of the New Zealand National Party from ...
from 2005 to 2006 and associate spokesperson for education (early childhood education) under
John Key Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th prime minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as leader of the National Party from 2006 to 2016. Following his father's death when ...
from 2006 to 2008. In the 2008 election, she unseated Waitakere MP
Lynne Pillay Barbara Lynne Pillay (born 14 August 1950) is a New Zealand politician, and member of the Labour Party. Pillay was born in Palmerston North. Before entering politics, she was a nurse, and had been active in the New Zealand Nurses Union. Mem ...
, winning the seat with a majority of 632. Bennett was appointed to several cabinet roles in the new National-led government.


Fifth National Government, 2008–2017

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). In the government's third term, she was Minister of State Services (2014–2017), Minister of Social Housing (2014–2016),
Associate Minister of Finance The associate minister of finance () was a member of the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for various files within the Department of Finance Canada as assigned by the minister of finance. This portfolio was introduced in the 29th Canadian min ...
(2014–2016), Minister of Local Government (2014–2015) and Minister for Climate Change Issues (2015–2017) before becoming
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
, Minister for Women, Minister of Police, and
Minister of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many countries under several names: *Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) *Ministry of Touri ...
(2016–2017). Bennett's appointment as Minister of Social Development and Employment after the 2008 election was regarded by some commentators as a "surprise." 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 Judith Anne Collins (born 24 February 1959) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the attorney-general and minister of defence since 27 November 2023. She served as the leader of the Opposition and leader of the New Zealand National P ...
. 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. 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, 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. 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. In the 2011 election, Bennett again stood for the Waitakere seat, and secured an election night majority of 349 votes. 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. 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. The 2013/14 electoral boundary review saw Bennett's Waitakere electorate abolished in favour of two new electorates in western Auckland,
Kelston Kelston is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, north west of Bath, and east of Bristol, on the A431 road. It is situated just north of the River Avon, close to the Kelston and Saltford locks. The parish has a population of 248. ...
and
Upper Harbour Upper Harbour may refer to these various places in New Zealand: *Upper Harbour Bridge *Upper Harbour Local Board *Upper Harbour Motorway *Upper Harbour (New Zealand electorate) Upper Harbour is a parliamentary electorate in Auckland that returns ...
. At the 2014 election, Bennett stood for the Upper Harbour seat and won with a majority of 9,692 votes. 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. Bennett was eventually announced as the highest-ranking female Cabinet minister, holding the State Services, Social Housing, and Local Government portfolios. She was also
Associate Minister of Finance The associate minister of finance () was a member of the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for various files within the Department of Finance Canada as assigned by the minister of finance. This portfolio was introduced in the 29th Canadian min ...
and Associate Minister of Tourism. From December 2015, she became Minister for Climate Change Issues. John Key resigned the leadership of the National Party in December 2016. He was succeeded as prime minister by
Bill English Sir Simon William English (born 30 December 1961) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 39th prime minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017 and Leader of the New Zealand National Party, leader of the New Zealand National Party, ...
. 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. 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.


Sixth Labour Government, 2017–2020

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 Simon Joseph Bridges (born 12 October 1976) is a New Zealand retired politician, broadcaster and lawyer. He served as Leader of the New Zealand National Party, Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of t ...
after Bill English retired in 2018 and was the party's spokesperson for social investment and social services, women and drug reform. Bennett has argued that the government's drug reform policy needs to consider health, education, and justice. 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. While Parliament was adjourned in the first year of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Bennett was a member of the
Epidemic Response Committee The Epidemic Response Committee was a select committee of the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was established on 25 March 2020 during the 52nd New Zealand Parliament, 52nd Parliament in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, cor ...
, a select committee that considers the government's response to the pandemic. Following a
Newshub ''Newshub'' (stylised as Newshub.) was a New Zealand news service that operated from 1989 to 2024 and served as the local news division of Warner Bros. Discovery New Zealand until its closure. The division, known as ''3 News'' until 2016, had ...
-Reid research poll released on 18 May 2020 which returned a low approval rating for the National Party and its leader
Simon Bridges Simon Joseph Bridges (born 12 October 1976) is a New Zealand retired politician, broadcaster and lawyer. He served as Leader of the New Zealand National Party, Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand), Leader of t ...
, Bennett as deputy leader was challenged by Auckland Central MP
Nikki Kaye Nicola Laura Kaye (11 February 1980 – 23 November 2024) was a New Zealand politician who served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand National Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 22 May 2020 to 14 July 2020. Kaye served as the me ...
. Bridges' leadership of National was contested by
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MP
Todd Muller Todd Michael Muller (; born 23 December 1968) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the Leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition from 22 May to 14 July 2020. Muller entered Parliament at the 2014 gen ...
. A
leadership vote Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...
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. 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 A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
in September. On 2 July, Bennett's former Women and Drug Reform portfolios were assumed by Nikki Kaye and
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respectively.


Post-political career

On 19 October 2020, after the general election, Bennett joined Bayleys Real Estate as Director - Strategic Advisory. In 2021 she was asked to host the TVNZ revival of British game show ''
Give Us a Clue ''Give Us a Clue'' is a British televised game show version of charades which was broadcast on ITV from 1979 to 1992. The original host was Michael Aspel from 1979 to 1984, followed by Michael Parkinson from 1984 to 1992. The show featured two ...
.'' In 2024, Associate Minister of Health
David Seymour David Breen Seymour (born 24 June 1983) is a New Zealand politician who has served as the 21st deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2025 and as the 1st minister for regulation since 2023. A member of the ACT Party, he has served as its ...
appointed Bennett as chair of
Pharmac The Pharmaceutical Management Agency (Māori: ''Te Pātaka Whaioranga''), better known as Pharmac, is a New Zealand Crown entity that decides, on behalf of Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, which medicines and pharmaceutical products are sub ...
.


Controversies


Release of private information about beneficiaries

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). In response, Bennett released full details of the two women's benefits. 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. The
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as environmentalism and social justice. Green party platforms typically embrace Social democracy, social democratic economic policies and fo ...
labeled the act as "beneficiary bashing", while Labour's social welfare spokesperson
Annette King Dame Annette Faye King (née Robinson, born 13 September 1947) is a former New Zealand politician. She served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2011, and from 2014 until 1 March 2 ...
likened it to Robert Muldoon's government, when anyone speaking out against government policy "was hit over the head with a political sledge hammer." Labour MP Charles Chauvel said he would lay a complaint on behalf of the women, and Fuller said she would proceed with a complaint. 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. 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. 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." When
TV3 News Virgin Media News (formerly TV3 News and then 3News Ireland) is the news division of Virgin Media Television in Ireland, owned by Liberty Global. The news division produces news and current affairs programming for free-to-air channels Virgin M ...
reported in April 2010 that Bennett had paid Fuller to settle the privacy dispute, both parties rejected this claim. 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."


Christine Rankin appointment

In May 2009, Bennett appointed the controversial
Christine Rankin Christine Kathryn Rankin (born Greymouth c. 1954) is a New Zealand politician and former civil servant who served as head of the Department of Work and Income. Civil service career Rankin joined the Department of Social Welfare (as it was th ...
as Families Commissioner; her term ended in 2013.


Job numbers claims

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 A warehouse is a storage facility. Warehouse or The Warehouse may also refer to: Buildings and places Canada * The Warehouse (Toronto), a defunct nightclub in Toronto, Ontario * The Warehouse Studio, a recording facility and photography studio i ...
, if anyone wanted them, as well as 40 jobs at retailer
Bunnings Bunnings Group Limited, trading as Bunnings Warehouse or Bunnings, is an Australian hardware and garden centre chain. The chain has been owned by Wesfarmers since 1994, and has stores in Australia and New Zealand. Bunnings was founded in Per ...
. The Warehouse refuted this claim, saying it only had 30 jobs available, and Bunnings only had three advertised.


Gun control

In October 2017, prior to the
Christchurch mosque shootings Two consecutive mass shootings took place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. They were committed by a single perpetrator during Friday prayer, first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, at 1:40p.m. and almost immediately afterwards ...
, Bennett rejected 12 of 20 recommendations from a select committee inquiry into the illegal possession of firearms. This decision was criticised at the time by New Zealand's Police Association president Chris Cahill who lamented to news website
Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jeremy Strong Fictional c ...
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."


Personal life

Bennett married Alan Philps in 2012. Philps keeps a low public profile and was mentioned by Bennett in October 2016. Philps did not appear in photographs from Bennett's swearing-in ceremony at Government House, Wellington, on 12 December 2016, but her daughter, granddaughter and stepdaughter did. After her announced retirement at the New Zealand 2020 general election, Bennett says she plans to venture into the business world. In late 2017 Bennett announced she had undergone
gastric bypass surgery Gastric bypass surgery refers to a technique in which the stomach is divided into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant" pouch, where the small intestine is rearranged to connect to both. Surgeons have developed several differen ...
for weight loss. In November 2018 she stated she had lost over the previous year.


Public image

For several years Bennett appeared on TV One's ''
Breakfast Breakfast is the first meal of the day usually eaten in the morning. The word in English refers to breaking the fasting period of the previous night. Various "typical" or "traditional" breakfast menus exist, with food choices varying by regi ...
'' with friend and Labour MP
Darren Hughes Darren Colyn Hughes (born 3 April 1978) is a New Zealand former Member of Parliament between 2002 and 2011, first elected at the age of 24. He represented the Labour Party and was a Minister outside Cabinet in the Fifth Labour Government of Ne ...
. In January 2009, Bennett broke up a fight between 30 teenagers at her local shopping mall in
Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname * Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada *H ...
before police arrived, earning praise as a "tough lady." She also arranged community networking to address the underlying issues. In March 2010, Bennett accepted an Eisenhower Fellowship. The prestigious six week fellowship in the United States was awarded to only 20 women around the world who were identified as outstanding leaders. In November 2020 she was named one of the best dressed women on David Hartnell MNZM's Best Dressed List.


References


External links


Paula Bennett MP
official site
Profile
New Zealand Parliament website , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Paula 1969 births Living people Massey University alumni New Zealand National Party MPs Māori MPs Women government ministers of New Zealand Politicians from Auckland People from Taupō New Zealand list MPs New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Ministers of housing of New Zealand 21st-century New Zealand women politicians Women members of the New Zealand House of Representatives Candidates in the 2017 New Zealand general election Deputy prime ministers of New Zealand Māori politicians People educated at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College Tainui people Women deputy opposition leaders