Paula Bennett

Paula Bennett quickly became a breakout star in Parliament. But the former National Party MP opens up on the brutal leadership coup that sealed her fate.

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*The views expressed in this interview are the honestly held opinion of Paula Bennett

Paula Bennett quickly became a breakout star in Parliament. But the former National Party MP opens up on the brutal leadership coup that sealed her fate.

"They needed to grow some" - Bennett's scathing review of the National caucus and what led to one of the party's worst ever election defeats.

In her first candid interview about the ordeal and the insult which followed, the former National MP sat down with Mātangireia presenter Maiki Sherman.

Paula Bennett is one of the most recognisable faces in recent political history.

Charismatic and hard-working, her steely determination saw her quickly rise through the ranks of the National Party.

Coveting a range of ministerial portfolios, she formed part of the inner circle to one of the country's most popular prime ministers, Sir John Key.

The self-proclaimed 'westie' would also go on to serve as deputy prime minister under Sir Bill English.

Bennett's end in politics, however, will forever be a bruising one.

A leadership challenge saw Simon Bridges tossed out by the caucus, and Bennett along with him as deputy leader.

The assessment of her caucus colleagues in the leadership coup was scathing.

"They needed to grow some," she said.

"Too many of them had had it too easy to be quite blunt with you. They hadn't gone through what we'd just been through in the last six months."

Bennett said the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic dominated headlines and made it difficult for the opposition to gain cut-through.

Some within the caucus saw an opportunity to roll the leadership.

"They needed to take a breath and just sort of work their way through it. But there were forces that were bigger.

"At some level I just thought well, Simon and I are just going to be constantly kind of undermined from within, and caucus will decide its own destiny."

National MPs Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye emerged victorious, as leader and deputy leader respectively.

"I was hurt...I felt that I'd given not just 15 years but 20 years to this party," she said.

Bennett said what took place next added insult to injury.

Following the leadership change that Friday, she received an early morning call on Sunday from Muller…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details