Bye bye Paula
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11:36 am, June 29th, 2020 - 79 comments
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Paula Bennett has announced that she is standing down from politics and will not seek re-election on National’s list at this year’s election.
A month ago she was deputy leader and head of National’s campaign.
Now her career is no more.
Clearly the message has been given to her that she had no future. And like Anne Tolley over the weekend she has announced her decision to move on and spend more time with her family.
She claims that she has improved people’s lives and livelihoods. History would beg to disagree.
It was her attacks on ordinary people that really annoyed me about her. She was steeped in dirty politics and used the power of the state to attack and embarrass individuals who stood up against her.
She had the nickname Paula Benefit which was hilarious given her disdain for those of us who have to from time to time rely on state support.
She also claimed to be a westie and thought that the wearing of fake leopard skin was a qualifying requirement. Note to Paula, compassion and being down to earth and caring for the environment are much more important characteristics.
Later, Paula.
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Quite possibly the one and only great thing muller will do for this country is seeing booting this woman out of politics.
In some welcome news, one of National's most vicious, self serving and bullying MP's has announced she is not contesting the next election.
Paula Bennett, or, as she's known by her Tory colleagues, Paula Benefit, took all the state could offer as a young and lefty solo mum, then whipped the ladder away from women in the same position when she rose to the role of Social development Minister under John Key.
She'll probably best remembered for brutally bullying two beneficiaries in July 2009. Minister Bennett deliberately released the benefit details of two young women who had been critical of the Key Government's policy of abolishing the Training Initiative Allowance (TIA), an allowance Bennett herself had used to gain an education.
In opposition, she helped lead National to historically low poll results as Deputy Leader under Simon Bridges, then got dumped.
No surprise then that she would go.
However, her claim that she is going to start a career in business is kinda odd. Like most of the National caucus, she has no significant experience in making money through hard work and enterprise.
It'd be ironic if she ends up applying for a benefit.
On the pension she'll have?
+100
My sentiments exactly.
I see you and me had a race to put this post up TRP!
Who could forget the terrorising of state home dwellers through bogus claims of methamphetamine contamination?
Or the attacks on Te Puea Marae's Hurimoana Dennis after he had the temerity to show up National by housing the homeless?
Or many more examples …
Or her refusal to reverse individual debts many people are repaying, often in the tens of thousands of dollars each, because of a need for emergency housing, most of which were wrongfully established. She's a total piece of work.
Hi, ms. I guess we both had our mornings brightened when the glad tidings came through!
I'm looking forward to a whole bunch more Tory MP's being moved on by the voters in a couple of months but that's gonna require a lot of door knocking and phone calls.
TS readers can play their part:
https://www.labour.org.nz/volunteer
https://action.greens.org.nz/volunteer
"It'd be ironic if she ends up applying for a benefit."
And then wondering what arsehole cancelled the TIA
Two and a half years ago, Penny Ashton executed a brilliant takedown of Paula Bennett's hypocrisy, after Bennett had a rush of blood to the head and strayed off message following her bariatric surgery…
Excellent point. Penny should host the show from now on.
The actual host at that time, Jim Mora, was less than happy with the criticism.
Excellent news.
There's some kind of symmetry to this announcement coming at the same time as the Greens release the most progressive social security policy we've seen in my lifetime. Let this be sign of better things to come.
If she had the foresight to understand Muller's leadership is temporary she may've stayed on. I'd prefer her to stay. There're plenty of potential numpty leaders who'd give her a high position. Heck, they may have even made her leader, which isn't that far-fetched given the depth of her party’s MPs. She may have even been more valuable as leader than Bridges, and that's extremely valuable.
Good riddance to the main player in the meth testing scam that evicted hundreds of vulnerable HNZ tenants on false pretences, leaving tons of houses empty in the middle of a homeless crisis
Another rooster becomes a feather duster?
How do you tell the difference between an anchor and a resigning National MP? When you throw them overboard, the anchor sinks and the MP ends up clinging onto some business board.
Glad to see the back of her,
What a lovely gift,
This can only deepen more,
The Nat's supporters rift.
Bring on September,
Winston and Paula, bye bye,
How good to think Mike Hoskingites,
Will hold their heads and cry.
How grand it will be,
Getting rid of the rot and Covid too,
The future looks more bright,
Red being the colour with fuck-all blue.
Good riddance to nasty.
My bet is she will prove to be of limited use in an actual business. No sign of actual skill or talent in that one.
Well, she could always start up a second-hand boutique shop with all the clothes she acquired over the years. Never saw her in the same outfit twice. We could take it in turns to swan in and try them on. The TS men could pretend to be cross-dressers and report her reactions. 😮
😂
I dunno – reckon I'd be wanting a hand out, not a hand up, so would have to shoplift.
I hope that Paula becomes involved in a career that is product centric focused as opposed to being person centric focused……surely their is some company out their which sells widgets or thingy-ma-bobs which the sale of, or lack there of, will have no adverse consequences to the general population base of NZ, and she and her pending business mates can make an ethical dollar on, at nobody else's expense.
[Fixed error in e-mail address]
post of the day silvertuatara
Avon? Rawleigh's?
Night club bouncer?
Tupperware consultant?
ANZ Simon Power,JohnKey,Paula Benefit.
Paula a Beneficiery from cradle to ANZ.
Na itll be time to call in all the favours owed to her ,she'll spend the next 20 years popping up on boards and other nose in the pig bucket spots the same as all nats do . Probably sending them broke like shipley does.
Well going by her predecessors you may very well be right…
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Payday loans?
Open a tinnie house?
Sweetie zips it.
the best, the best, the best !!!!!
Thank you, I though it was good. Tough crowd here tho…
Insightful from @sarahhbickerton:
A leopard doesn’t change her spots but she sure can run fast when the rats stormed and took over the sinking ship.
I hope Bennett considers a tell all memoir of her time in parliament
The Specials bin at the Warehouse will soon be overflowing with all those memoirs and other brain farts by National MPs.
incognito, Best laugh of the day. Oh so true!!
God, not another one. We've just had one of those from JC.
Mind you, fun to be had airing all the dirty laundry.
The only fun, but theres been a few gems from the JC one .Indicative of how the party’s run
Lets face it, most of the books written by flash in the pan celebrities are stocking fillers
51 Shadz of Leppidskin, Sweetie.
Daren’t read it.
It'd be full of gem's like;
Big night out, hangover not helping as Bill had marked my home work with a 'see me' again.
I suspect she'd sue anyone who told all.
She wants the challenge of a new career. No doubt Harcourts Real Estate are competing with the Caci Clunuk for her buzzniss ekyamun and as an example of how you too can pull yasef up by the bootstraps and make something of yasef.
Ploise, Paula, close the door on your way out. In many ways ear Paula is worse then the Crusher.
Just one question: who's gunna write your loif story? There'll be story tellers from the Granny the Herald, to documentary makers from arsehole to breakfast, to advertising igzekatuvs lining up for a piece of the ekshun. Be woise though Paula: unless ya wanna come across as real tacky, seek advice from the Anne Tolley Finishing School for Ladies before you fall for any of it, and make sure you stay in polite company at all toimes.
" buzzniss ekyamun"
Ouch!. A dead cliche mispronounced – like a dagger in the eye.
I’ll make an unkind comment: Bennett was good at getting up people’s noses so maybe she could help out at the borders.
I'm afraid I've disobeyed my dear ole mum who once said if you can't say something kind, don't say anything.
I have no problem saying unkind things to people who are unkind to others – especially when their motivation is about themselves (often dressed up as 'personal responsibility). Fuk 'em! Goose and Gander sauces and drizzles of Olive Oil.
And although Paula is a bit 'coy' about her future when confronting media clamouring for a response, there'll be a heap of tunities for her to continue along the route of doing something personally challenging and inspiring that she'll be equally proud of in future. Promoting Bryan and Hannah and little Jevon might be one of them, or even as a spokesperson for the petrochemical industry specialising in plastics.
Up their noses indeed though PB would probably use barbed wire.
Yeah good riddance! Anyone got the total of Nats abandoning Ship?
15 announced since 2017 as far as I can see, one resiled; 55 National MPs so 25% turnover in three years…. so far!
Sarah Dowie, David Carter; Ann Tolley, Paula Bennett, Nicky Wagner, Amy Adams (but resiled);Alastair Scott; Maggie Barry; Jonathan Coleman; Steven Joyce; Bill English; Chris Finlayson; Jami-Lee Ross; Nuk Korako; and Nathan Guy.
This is more likely a demand from Winston that Bennett along with Tolley walk the plank so NZ first can at least discuss a coalition with National , he's as thin skinned as Trump when it comes to retribution and National doesn't stand a chance without NZ first .
Good conspiracy theory. Another is that the Nats are trying to clear out the dead wood before their impending election defeat makes it look even worse.
It’s going to take forever to get through the Nats valedictorys before parliament rises for the election.
From what I know of Paula Bennett's adult life, with perhaps one maybe two exceptions, she has been a state dependent right up until the present time! So can't see her making too much of an effort in the private world of business!
Good riddance to PB, a rotten, vile piece of work if ever there was!
Todd Muller "singled out her work on the Paris climate change agreement as Climate Change Minister" … as a particularly noteworthy achievement.
Ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffs!
Made my day.. Now how to "persuade" Judith Collins to do the same
Frankly I wouldn't touch any business Paula was involved in with a barge pole.
But the nats seem to have 5 women out of 15 retirements. How pale male stale is the next potential nat caucus going to look?
Thank you Paula
I never agreed with your politics or much that ever came out of your mouth. But I'm one who believes everyone in Parliament deserves a certain degree of thanks.
Hey E is E. it’s just a bit of fun.
From me to the participants: thanks for the chuckles – especially Incognito @ 15.2
It also deserves to be respected, she failed it on that count many times over.
She’ll trouser the pension and sinecures to ensure it stays zipped sweetie.
[deleted] off [deleted]
[Succinct but please tone down your language because it is crossing the line of acceptable, thanks – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 3:41 PM.
Thank god that vile creature is buggering off – what a trougher!
The end of another error.
Ha ha. I like it. Just brilliant. I always like reading your posts McFlock, but that one is a classic.
News worth celebrating 🙂
Last time I checked at least a third of current nat MP's aren't seeking re-election.
It must be getting close to half now.
I'd like the media to start asking national questions about why so many of their MP's are leaving. Because the 'family reasons' line is wearing a bit thin.
Musical chairs anyone? or Pass the Parcel.
Nat MPs know their new captain is still steering towards a general election 'iceberg'. That sinking feeling and a shortage of 'list seat lifeboats' is causing some 'recalculations'.
"
She had the nickname Paula Benefit"Her nickname among people I know was "Pullya Benefit" for her habit of doing everything she could to get benefits canceled.
yes so true
Something about doors not hitting an arse on the way out.
Well I'm torn…..
On one hand, I'm very happy to see the back of her.
On the other, I was keen to see how many votes someone as toxic as Paula would have lost National come September.
Interesting really, Nats have fallen over themselves attempting to achieve a Labour scalp (Clark) in collusion with the msm yet the success alone of the Coalition Govt has seen 15 Nat MPs resign/retire.
The Coalition, the quiet achievers, working for NZers to rid the country of undesirables.
Newsroom at least appears to have some balance in its reporting:
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/1278081/anne-salmond-on-clickbait
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/1281130/judith-joylessly
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/1255825/in-the-absence-of-calm
And I saw somewhere that we are up to 61 days without community transmission!
Newsroom is one of the very few sources actually doing quality journalism. Perhaps the only source.
The National Party and Paula Bennett have come to terms of agreement for her release. Best wishes in her future endeavours…
Well this a non event. Whats next.
First time I have agreed 100% with anything that Bennett has said.
She was a nasty piece of work.
Though we haven't seen the last of her. The non profit-industrial complex and various iwi trusts and organisations that get fat from government contracts await. That other Westie pariah, JT might give her a job in his empire.
Dont let the door hit you on the way out, sweetie.