Paula Bennett, National party, Waitakere

Paula Bennett

Age: 36

Electorate opponents include: sitting Labour MP Lynne Pillay

Current job: Recruitment manager.

Identifies as: Urban Maori and single parent.

What's the National Party suggesting to wannabe Auckland homeowners?

People know how to manage their own money better than the Government. If I was looking to buy my first home and was getting a bit extra each week, I would think, "I've been surviving so far, why not save the extra towards a deposit?" Tax cuts would mean more saving.

Who is having the toughest time in New Zealand?

Who isn't having a tough time as we struggle with our identity under a Labour government that sneaks through social policy issues that are fundamentally changing New Zealand? If we'd gone to referendum on civil union and prostitution law reforms we would have had more of a debate.

Obviously marriages don't always work. How do you reconcile that with National's push for the stable family unit?

Is my family the conservative norm? No, it's a single-parent household, but it still holds true to National Party values.

Just as a civil union legitimises a less conventional family definition?

I'm not saying I'm against civil unions, I just think it was decided for us. Another case of Big Sister will tell you what's best.

What from your personal life would help most with political life?

What's most important to me is being able to emotionally and financially support myself and my daughter. At one stage I felt, "No, you're a single mum from Taupo and you should find some nice guy to marry you" ... And all power to the women who do that, but I wanted my independence. I went to university while my daughter was at school, I had two jobs and nobody was going to tell me I couldn't do it. I think about Parliament and I think "Bring it on".

And from professional life?

I have a vast knowledge of employment and immigration issues and talking to such a wide range of people every day, you get to understand the business and personal issues people are facing.

So more or fewer immigrants?

We need targeted immigration that will fill our skill shortages, but I also think New Zealanders have a right to choose who comes here. I think we have an obligation that if we are bringing people in, we need to set them up to succeed.

What Westie issue gets you hot under the collar?

With the Waitakere Ranges National Heritage Area Bill we need to be thinking about the real effects on people's private land. And what worries me most is not the protection of the Waitakere Ranges, because that's a given, but it is putting another piece of legislation on top of a district council plan, on top of a Resource Management Act.

And the issues facing Maori?

The only Maori getting visibility are those on the radical side. There's actually a whole lot of us who don't fit that. We'd really like to be looking forward instead of back.

What issues do you and your voting-aged daughter disagree on?

Anna thinks NCEA should be thrown out - she was in its first year and really struggled. I believe it can be saved, it just needs some major tweaking.

Sling some mud: What's the biggest mistake the Government is making?

Complacent, arrogant leadership that has forgotten it is about the people.

And what are they doing right?

I like the fact there are training options and financial support for single parents wanting to take on tertiary study.