Collins not sad to see Bennett go
Muller says he’s unfazed by Sainsbury video mocking the National Party
Senior National MP Judith Collins says she’s not sorry to see the back of Paula Bennett and has revealed why she voted to roll her in the leadership coup. And National leader Todd Muller says he’s not bothered by Bennett appearing in a video with a comedian in her likeness saying “eff you, Nats” because there are worse videos of him on Tiktok.
Before the National caucus meeting yesterday, Collins said she’d backed Muller in the spill that ousted Simon Bridges and Bennett, his then-deputy. And she said she wasn’t sorry to see Bennett quit.
“I’ve seen lots of people come and go and I think for Paula it’s the right choice for her and I think she clearly has not been feeling that focused for the last few weeks.
“I think I’m pleased for Paula that she’s going out on her own terms and that’s what I’d like to see.”
Bennett made a shock exit from politics on Monday after announcing she’d stand down at the election in September to pursue business opportunities. Part of the surprise was she’d told comedian Tom Sainsbury — who has mimicked her for years — about her decision at the weekend so they could do a video together before she told her boss.
Over the years, the latte-bowl loving, Collins-loathing caricature of Bennett has become one of Sainsbury’s most popular characters. In Monday’s segment, he pretends to be Bennett announcing her retirement and stops himself repeatedly from criticising the National Party and the new leadership team.
Muller said yesterday he’d seen the video — which ends with Bennett and Sainsbury dancing in colourful kimonos to Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive — and said it appeared to be “an enjoyable half hour or so between them”.
When asked about Bennett appearing in the video in which Sainsbury in her likeness says “eff you, to the Nats”.
“According to my daughter there are all sorts of Tiktok videos around of me that are even worse so I’ll just have to run with it.”