Bennett’s exit leaves hole in National Party

Paula Bennett had plenty of reasons to go. After 15 years in Parliament and some time very close to the top job, her fortunes within the National Party had well and truly fallen. The leadership coup last month was pointedly about more than just removing the leader – it was also about removing Bennett. The only direction from here was down.

Following the coup, Bennett was demoted out of the top 12, stripped of her campaign chair role, and made absolutely no secret of her mirth when the new deputy leader stepped in it and described Paul Goldsmith as the party’s highest ranked Ma¯ ori MP – a position Bennett actually held.

That honour is now held by Dr

Shane Reti at caucus rank 17, or 16 if you remove Bennett herself.

This is not really tenable for a large political party. Ma¯ ori make up 16.5 per cent of New Zealand.

The relationship between the Crown and Ma¯ ori is one of the most crucial long-term political issues in this country. Representation is not everything, but you ignore it at your peril.

The situation will probably not last that long. As leader Todd Muller indicated yesterday, he could promote someone to fill Bennett’s slot. Your money would have to be on Reti getting the nod at this point: He is a very capable MP and deserves it.

But it is not just a Ma¯ ori voice at the top that National are missing. Bennett was also an exceptional personality, the West Auckland solo mum who got off the benefit and made it to Cabinet.

This background was very politically useful for Bennett and National as she carved up the

benefit system, and again when she decided to back a hardline and misguided approach on meth use in state homes. Even as deputy prime minister Bennett never stopped being herself – a bit of a bogan, a bit loose, and someone deeply capable of laughing at herself.

It is very hard to imagine Muller really laughing at himself. Or Reti. Indeed, a sort of patrician aloofness now permeates much of National’s top ranks. Muller oozes blue chip businessman, Nikki Kaye is every inch the former head prefect, and, despite her background as the child of a solo mother in Auckland, Amy Adams projects rural aristocracy.

The National Party has often leaned more to ‘‘born-to-rule’’ than ‘‘just-like-you!’’ but John Key’s party was very careful to never let this vibe take over – with MPs like Bennett there to keep the party grounded in suburban, swing-voter New Zealand, not just rural towns and urban chambers of commerce.

So what should Muller do to fix this hole in his lineup, to allow his party to still mock itself a bit, and not look like a bunch of white elites?

Well there’s one Ma¯ ori National MP from West Auckland who has no portfolios right now, and has indicated he will definitely be staying on through the election. His name is Simon Bridges.

Todd Muller oozes blue chip businessman, Nikki Kaye is every inch the former head prefect.