There has been intense speculation that Paula Bennett will have a strong career outside of parliament. She has claimed that she wishes to pursue a career in business.
This seems a little counter-intuitive, especially when competent ministers like Joyce and English have found life in the real world tough. They weren’t quite as employable as they thought that they were.
Moreover, business these days really can’t countenance treating staff like she treated staff in parliament. It really isn’t becoming to shout at staff or to abuse people who are attending meetings. They certainly won’t put up with setting up male staff members in sex stings.
Paula’s big problem is that she was a tribal partisan and spent nine years hammering the hell out of Labour MPs. Labour MPs may not be all that smart but they do have memories like an elephant when it comes to National ministers who lack grace.
There were a lot of people in the Labour part of parliament yesterday saying “Zip it Sweetie” to each other, and reminding their colleagues that Paula pulled the ladder up behind her when she was Minister of Social Welfare or whatever it is called.
Solo mothers following Paula through Massey and Albany had their benefits cut by Paula and did it much tougher than Paula did.
Paula also created life-long enemies within New Zealand First, who now know exactly how Winston’s pension details were leaked to the media. So utu is still sought by New Zealand First.
Whether Paula can find employment in the private sector is also questionable.
The word around the upper echelons of Labour and New Zealand First is that she really is persona non grata, and the private sector will be told that if they give Paula a job they can forget ever getting anything done for them by the government.
This makes Paula a very unattractive person to have on a corporate board or in a senior role.
She may have to resort to something as crass as being a celebrity marriage celebrant doing big Westie mall weddings. But then that would suit her.
Oh, and Paula?
No hard feelings.