Paula confirmed as true Westie
As final proof that Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is a true Westie, the Herald on Sunday reveals that the father of her daughter’s daughter is a young gang member.
The Herald on Sunday have worked hard to make this newsworthy, proclaiming:
Police said Halaholo, 23, was a member of the Thugs of Canal, a so-called youth gang based around Canal St in Avondale. The gang members reportedly have a history of violence and intimidation, creating the risk inappropriate pressure could be brought to bear on the senior minister and her decisions.
I don’t see that Paula gets much choice in who her daughter chooses as a partner, and her “crime” seems to be allowing him to live with her a couple of years ago. The article goes on to say:
Yesterday, Halaholo’s father Lolo Halaholo, 42, said Bennett had been trying to support her daughter and family by taking in her granddaughter’s father.
Viliami Halaholo left Avondale College aged 17 and got work with a road crew. He had been in regular police trouble because of his involvement in up to 10 fights, his father said.
Halaholo’s aunty, Tolo Langi, said her nephew had settled down after meeting Ana, but had still hung around Avondale with his gang associates.
Ana studied at Excel Ministries School of Performing Arts before becoming a mum.
Ana and Halaholo plan to set up house with their child and Halaholo’s other toddler daughter when he gets out, Langi said. The family hoped he would be up for parole this year.
I think this just shows that Paula continues to face the challenges of being a mum, and a grandmum.
January 25th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Agree with you David. It seems to be a nonsense attempt at a beatup on someone who has done all the right things.
I challenge the HoS to name their source. Bet its a Laybore supporter.
January 25th, 2009 at 7:57 am
NZ a joke , fuck ,think of gang members born in Dork Street , the gangs called (the dorks) SHIT MORE POWER TO THE MINISTER A REAL FEMALE NOT A DYKE
PS i love shouting, and/or UPPERCASE
January 25th, 2009 at 8:23 am
“I think this just shows that Paula continues to face the challenges of being a mum, and a grandmum”
I agree with you on that, It’s also about choices. She’s obviously has a lot of courage and has made some very good decisions, but also a couple of “WTF’s” are apparent.
IME raising teens is about knowing the environment they mix in, and doing you best to make that as satisfactory as possible -from day one.
(anyone noticing a kinda Sarah Palin to this?)
January 25th, 2009 at 8:37 am
It must be a very slow news day to make this a story. As far as I can see the boyfriend has made some mistakes and is now paying for them.
WOW have we all become so indoctrinated in the previous governments inability to admit mistakes and make changes in their lives that we will hang people for past errors. In fact better still now we seem to want to hang the mother for her childs decisions.
Patrick seriously WTF????? you sound a bit moralistic there. The only Pailin connection I see is a young Mum who is still with the father of her child making the most of the situation. What would you prefer.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Doesn’t it just show our screwed society. So Ana studied a few years before she what? decided that it was easier to knock out a kid and let the state pay? So when he’s out he hopes to settle down with his other kid (to whom?) as well. So glad I pay taxes and go to work each day instead of hanging round the house letting the state pay me.
Work gangs, food tickets and education vouchers. Why don’t we stop it being so profitable for the parents.
January 25th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Tariana Turia used her role as Associate Corrections Minister to try and have her son moved to a prison closer to home. Paula Bennett was an opposition back-bench MP when she took in her daughter’s boyfriend. Spot the difference?
For the HoS to assert “This is not the first time a minister’s family connections with a jailed criminal has called her ministerial judgment into question” is complete and utter crap.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:06 am
On the face of it, the Herald’s questions on Bennett’s disclosures or lack of them about the young man are relevant.. until you realise that the Court and the police would have had an unusual amount of disclosure through the bailing system. Before the Court would have agreed to allowing the young man to live with P Bennett it would have received a report as to her suitability. The police, the policing arm of the bail system, would also know of the situation.
In short, even the increasingly dumb and crass Herald would have known that Bennett had the very best evidence of disclosure of her connections to the young man, and of an obvious partisan interest in the future.
JC
January 25th, 2009 at 9:07 am
What a pathetic beat-up from the Herald! Lee – MWT – http://monkeyswithtypewriter.blogspot.com/
Paula Bennett In Gang Brawl!
January 25th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Definitely a Palinesque aspect to this. Liberal oriented media desperately searching for anything – just any little thing – to discredit the conservative party’s latest star.
I’d trust a used car salesman before I’d ever trust a journalist.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:22 am
I’ve heard that gang members often passed through Helen clark’s electorate from 1999 – 2008. We can only assume that some intimidation was brought to bear on her. I mean, what other conclusion is there? It’s common knowledge that youth gangs are full brilliant political thinkers.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:29 am
If the HoS wasn’t so desperate for a beat-up, they could’ve easily pitched it the other way… that she has strong family values and got stuck in on trying to turn around the life of the father of her grandson despite his serous mistakes. She took him in and worked to get him back on track and with the right frame of mind to survive jail and come out ready to be a contributor to society. There’s no evidence – absent statements from those involved – to go so far either way… so the HoS are obviously being dicks.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Jesus wept. Our standard of tabloid journalism is right up there with the worls worst. Just glad I don’t bother buying it.
Minister’s kids are kids. Some go off track; some associate with those who have gone off track. But is is a very long bow indeed to suggest that the association would influence the Minister’s decision making any more than it did the present Deputy Leader of the Labour Party whose daughter ‘appropriated’ her ministerial car, crashed it, and where the police found it to contain drugs.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:33 am
I think the Herald is still having coming to terms with the fact that we have a heterosexual female cabinet minister and one who has a child.
After all, its not as if they are used to that after nine years of a Labour gov’t.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I think that this shows the odd dynamics and happenings you sometimes get when you have a family. Given that most Labour female MPs were childless they wouldn’t understand this. What did Tamihere say about them having nothing but time to sit around and plot?
January 25th, 2009 at 9:50 am
The new inclusive National government and their supporters have no difficulty in accepting that one of their ministers has a family member that is intimately involved with a violent youth gangster. This is just part of the ‘change’ we were all expecting.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Im with Camryn.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Brian Smaller beat me to it — no one can embarrass you like your children. But you have to stick with them and love them.
We can’t all have marketable kids like Miley Cyrus.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:53 am
It’s exceptionally shoddy journalsim by Rebecca Milne, about which I have just posted a few thoughts
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-beat-up.html
January 25th, 2009 at 9:54 am
greenfly said “The new inclusive National government and their supporters have no difficulty in accepting that one of their ministers has a family member that is intimately involved with a violent youth gangster. This is just part of the ‘change’ we were all expecting.”
Piss off greenfly. You are nothing but an irritating troll.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Who is Rebecca Milne and what position does she hold in the Princess Street Branch of the Labour party?
January 25th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Greenfly- if we’d followed the Greens our kids would also be wearing hoodies to show their solidarity with the gangs
January 25th, 2009 at 9:57 am
A lot of commentators on this blog, including myself, go septic about inter-generational welfare dependency. What’s so different about this case?
January 25th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Inventory2 not at all (trolling) I see a sea change here and I applaude it! Forgiving, inclusive, loving even, National party and supporters! It’s inspirational and it’s what I’d always hoped would happen.
Patrick Starr – that’s what we are seeing here with Paula and her daughter isn’t it? We are looking at youth gangs in a different way – as part of our families perhaps, fathers of our children. It’s a whole new way of looking at the world. Paula has wrenched the right wing waaaay over to the left on this one (judging by the comments here). Go Paula!
January 25th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Greenfly, I don’t need to ask what you’re smoking – given your party affiliations. But seriously, do you think for a minute Pauls Bennett would have been happy about her daughter dragging home a gang member? I’d imagine she would have been horrified. But as a parent you would need to make the choice – tell him to FO and risk losing your daughter as well – or make the best of a bad situation.
The problem seems to be why young youth don’t/cant/wont see the true evilness of the gangs. I suspect after 9 years of hearing the Green party say how wonderful they all are -maybe something stuck?
January 25th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Greenfly – I don’t think the comments here represent righties moving to the left. They tend to emphasize family values and individual’s responsibility for keeping other members of their family on track rather than the state. Recognition that when someone you know goes off the rails, it’s up to you to get them back on… not the community, not society. Individual/family behaviour as an individual/family problem, not a government one. What you’re seeing are right-wing values of responsibility and family that have always been there.
If people here were bleating for an increase in social workers and poverty reduction initiatives to give kids ‘options’ in West Auckland, then we’d have swung left.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Camryn – I’m comparing the two scenarios and responses from Kiwiblog commenters:
MP’s daughter pregnant to youth gang member ( Paula Bennett )
MP’s daughter pregnant to youth gang member ( Annette King )
Similar responses here, do you think?
January 25th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Why is this being interpreted to be a problem for Bennet? I can’t see a downside, personally.
Bennet gets free publicity which all Ministers want, the publicity is not negative toward her, whatever some might think and whatever the editorial intent was.
I mean, the people in her electoral support base would not see this as a problem at all. I used to live in West Auckland for a long time, I know that demographic quite well. As a Minister, your support goes much wider than that, however, so what about those?
Do you really think that National’s base would give much weight to this? I suspect they’ll probably file it away as part of the Bennet bio and wait and see how she performs. That will have far more effect on their opinion. Sure, there will be a few establishment snobs who sniff derisively at this, but I suspect that group already made up their mind about her a long time ago. This will just reinforce in their own minds, their prejudgment. Personally I feel sorry for people like that but anyway…
As for the reef-fish, yep, some of them might be disaffected, but I’d suspect the % of those would not be large. There is also potential for others to be attracted to her by this revelation, in that she could potentially depending how this turns out over the next three years, be seen to be helping get someone who was off the rails get back onto them. And if anyone has the power to do this, the Minister of Social Development is fairly well placed in that respect.
As for Palin comparisons, Patrick and Adolf are quite correct. It’s almost an exact mirror image. Beats me why some can’t see it.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:37 am
It certainly says something about the values the girl was raised with that she is in a relationship with a violent gang member. If any of my kids ended up in the same situation I would consider it a serious parental failure on my part. I don’t know anyone can feel any differently.
[DPF: Incidentally I understand the young man in question is not actually a gang member. He has broken the law and serving time for that]
January 25th, 2009 at 10:41 am
radar – teenage rebellion is a bitch. any parent will tell you that – and I agree its a parental failure. But theer are far bigger parental failures. I couldnt think of anything worse than any of my kids topping themselves, or ending up a druggie – or a hooker
January 25th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Being a Red loser is a bitch ain’t it.
January 25th, 2009 at 10:59 am
It’s news in that it is somewhat interesting as a bit of “Did you know….?”, but it doesn’t really such much about PB one way or the other, despite the scrambling here for it to do so one way or the other (typical political debate though, isn’t it? Gotta represent for your side, rather than having the logic and maturity to just let the trivial things slide).
It should be well-known that parents are out-ranked by peers in terms of influence over children. And we have no idea about the true relationship between mother and daughter, and long may it stay that way. All in the family, and all that.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:02 am
ummm i see a small problem.
he lived there while awaiting trial… maybe if she wasnt an MP at the time, he wouldve stayed in freakin jail?
the piece of shit is now doing time for grievous bodily harm! and he was in a fucking gang!
“you will be remanded to mt eden, oh wait, an MP will put you up you little rascal”
get fucked!
GBH isnt some minor offence.. GBH isnt giving some guy a quick tap in a bar. its serious.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Greenfly – I was completely unaware of the Annette King incident. I don’t live in NZ anymore, so maybe missed that one. Looks to be the one Ross Miller alluded to. Well, that sounds like a similar situation indeed, although the degree of ‘child off the rails’ seems higher. PB’s daughter mixed with the wrong crowd and became pregnant in less-than-ideal circumstances. AK’s daughter herself committed the crimes. So, I’d say that AK situation would rightly draw ministerial parenting abilities into greater question. I don’t know what her response was, so can’t comment on that… but I think PB’s response was a good one…
Radar – That is a valid point. It is indeed true that teenage rebellion can be extreme, but it seems odd that someone with Paula Bennett’s apparent values could have raised someone with her daughter’s apparent values, Westie locale or not. Oh well… like I said, at least she’s getting stuck in to correct the issue.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Right Wingers – tough on crime! (unless a national MP is helping out a gang member that knocked her daughter up). disgrace.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:07 am
There is a scenario – red socialist chardonay swilling middle class white guy doesn’t have a clue about life on the left hand side of the socio-economic normal curve.
Labour hate being irrelevant and hate the Nats having more working class people in their ranks.
(how DID that happen Laybore? Too many trust fund academic ring leaders?).
January 25th, 2009 at 11:13 am
greenfly said “MP’s daughter pregnant to youth gang member ( Paula Bennett )
MP’s daughter pregnant to youth gang member ( Annette King )”
greenfly – I’m not sure if you are being deliberately obtuse, or if you’re just a bit dull. Annette King’s daughter pranged her mother’s self-drive ministerial car, which was also found to contain cannabis. Paula Bennett put up her daughter’s boyfriend who was on bail awaiting trial (and innocent until proven guilty) in her private home. I’m sure that discerning Kiwiblog readers will be able to work out the difference.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I wonder, when did chardonnay become such a denigrated drink? Do political zealots hold periodic conferences to decide the icons of the enemy they are going to use as shorthand for their contempt? Do farmers not drink wine? What about vineyard operators? They are farmers of sorts and they MAKE wine, including chardonnay, I imagine.
*head explodes*
January 25th, 2009 at 11:26 am
i dont believe what i read. how do you even know the facts are correct?? sure there must be some truth. but come on guys…
January 25th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Commonly used term, have you never heard it? Came into play around the end of the 90′s I think.
You tell us big boy.
Yes.
Yes
Yes.
Really? Too much cheap Chardonnay?
January 25th, 2009 at 11:29 am
Only yesterday I blogged that my preference for this portfolio was originally Judith Collins but after Paula’s brave actions I had changed my mind. I’ve changed it back. I think one of the biggest issues facing welfare is to discourage inter-generational welfare dependency. Paula has not personally been able to achieve this, how can she tell others what to do. She can’t. Let’s give the welfare portfolio to someone with the guts to tackle the unpopular hard stuff. Paula has lived in the glass house, she can’t cast a stone. Even if the westie has crawled from the tenement and made it to parliament.
[DPF: You are assuming things that may not be true. What makes you think Paula's daughter is on welfare? I don't know if she is or not, but neither do you. You also miss the whole point of Paula's experiences on welfare. It is not that we should have no welfare state. It is that welfare was useful to help survive at first, but that Paula went from welfare into work]
January 25th, 2009 at 11:34 am
expat – that’s performance art I just can’t respond to. Plus my head exploded. Was that not clear?
January 25th, 2009 at 11:36 am
I repeat. National have more working class people in their ranks than LayBore.
LayBore hate that.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Who cares? Just the idea of discussing “ranks” means that you couldn’t care less about politics, and are only interested in colour co-ordination, big foam hands and bragging rights.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:45 am
LOL.
“you couldn’t care less about politics” – while you are a ‘serious’ political person (you got a beard?).
January 25th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Didn’t Ron Mark have a brother who was a gang member? Bit of a closer relationship than father of a granddaughter. Don’t recall a story like this, rather there was one about how successful Mark is after a hard life.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:52 am
“while you are a ’serious’ political person (you got a beard?)”
I don’t think this is really the place to be hitting on people. Or using LOL.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Assuming the lard ass in the doorway is the author – the only thing this article does is show us that she needs to go on a diet real quick. This article could be presented from the complete opposite angle, it is just a matter of reading between the lines and understanding the scenario.
Bennet has in no way used her position to influence anything in the outcome of the courtcase.
This is solely an agenda driven beat-up.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:58 am
LOL. Dork-meister.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:59 am
A LaY-Bore driven beat up. They just hate having their ‘working class’ street cred usurped.
Which is really funny given most of their ranks are derived from the priveleged trust fund middle and upper classes.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
And back to the substance of the story, I really don’t think it warranted reporting. Her family shouldn’t be in the news and the decline of the Herald plumbs new lows. It’s a complete hatchet job but I suspect the public will care less than some of her own colleagues.
Incidentally, transmogrifier, best of luck humouring the veral members of kiwiblog, I’d not bother.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Anyone else read the list of questions the Herald wants answered? What a smug bunch of poseurs. Who the hell are that bunch of journalistic frauds and Pravda style propagandists to be demanding accountability from anyone?? Fuck off frauds, and take your damn “questions” with you. You’ve got no cred anymore.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Others here will surely have noticed the strong similarity between Paula Bennet and Sue Bradford, surely! I’m sure Paula will be the focus of a great deal of right-wing hand-wringing over the next 2 and a bit years. It’s happening already. Those of you who have leapt to her defense, I admire for your single-mindedness, but you are sounding kinda bleeding heart and liberal.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Paul, it is an attempted hatchet job, obviously a story staged and leaked by LaY-Bore.
They just hate having their working class street cred usurped, you can see by the number of laboy-bore attack dogs trying to deride her (very poorly, from their chardonnay socialist kwila decks).
And transmogrifier’ comments werent humoring (ha ‘veral’ (sic)), they were condescending and then homophobic.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
im just disappointed with you people. if it were a dirty leftist youd be all over it.
the guy is doing 3 years for gang related grievous bodily harm!!! he shoulda been in remand leading up to his trial. would YOU let a piece of shit like that into your house? for 6 months?
wtf? GANG RELATED GBH people!
ano now people are bragging because national has more trash than labour? wtf?
the time for US VS THEM is over.. its now time for National to LEAD!
i guess its a shame she wasnt there to go into “mum mode” when her son in law was half killing a guy huh
January 25th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Gee, maybe the dumb-fuck judge ordered the pond-life to be bailed to Bennett’s place?? I know of at least one instance where a judge ordered an out-of-control teenager to be bailed to his (single) mum’s home, despite her pleas not to. She had two young school children to care for and a full time job. Sure enough, the cops called late one night to check on him and of course, he had absconded. Results: a family put in turmoil and the mum held resposnsible. FFS, some people just have NO idea of the plight of some single mums and shit they have to go though, and through no fault of their own.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I don’t know – chardonnay isn’t sentient, so I’m not sure you can condescend to it. The rest was boredom.
Paul Williams: I’m humoring myself more than anything. Trying to humour someone who uses “LaY-Bore” unironically would require too much expenditure on rubber chickens and whoopee cushions than I am comfortable with.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
LaY-Bore hate having ther street cred usurped.
Paula threatens their core franchise – the working classes.
Shame the working classes have seen right through the trust fund chardonnay socialists such as Klark and Kullen et al.
(BTW: You are a classic example of chardonnay socialism that has alienated the LaY-Bore heartland of the working classes). Ironic huh.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
dime – shhhhh! You’ll damage National’s new ‘working class street cred’. Halaholo is the new face of the Young Nats, endorsed by Halaholo’s child’s grandmother Paula Bennett.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Lay-Bore – the party that lost. For a reason.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I’m buggered if I can see a story in this at all.
I will however make a couple of points.
As a father I hated some of the things my then teenage daughter did and most of the scum she associated with but as most parents will tell you all you can do with children is try to advise them then hold their hand, help them whenever they ask and hope they survive the experience.
And it’s not bloody easy!
I’m buggered if I’d ‘ve let this bastard into my home but I’m not this lady.
She appears strong and sensible in most of the things I’ve heard of her.
Dime, I can’t think of anything I’d rather see than gang related violence.
As long as it’s kept gang v gang I hope the bastards “violence” themselves out of existence.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Yeah right, Labour did it… is that going to be the refrain each and every time something goes wrong for this government? Seriously, the Hearld’s been crap for a number of years, it used to focus on Labour, now it’s focusing on National. Why would imagine they’d develop more sophisticated approaches than bait-and-switch and smear?
Fair enough. I do find the endless plays on Labour hilarious though… just so inventive.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Paul, you attempt to play the reasonable and considered approach, it comes off very poorly.
It is quite obvious LaY-Bore (I like this one its quite quirky, like a cross between the credit boom given by Labour to the markets causing the housing boom, crossed with a general arrogant socialist ‘on-wee’ of 3 terms in power) leaked the story to smear bennet after the good press she got that and usurped labours street cred with the working classes.
You should advise Clinton to sit up and to work on those bitch tits.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Tinny – dont get me wrong, id also be happy for gangs to wipe eachother out.. but it doesnt work this way. also, ya never told me before you had a daughter
Dime in Law!
as for the judge “ordering” this guys girlfriends mother to take him in.. yeah right.
more like – “my clients future mother in law, a National party MP has agreed to take the boy in your honour”..
why the hell are we celebrating trash???
January 25th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Sorry guys, but I’m with Dime on this one. This guy is clearly scum, and Paula Bennett should be setting an example to us all by kneecapping the little bastard rather than opening her home to him.
Note: I’m not exonerating the Herald here, who are just plain shit and we all know it.
January 25th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
If Sue Bradford had done the same thing, would you all be lauding her? Hmmm?
January 25th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
No-one ever lauded Sue Bradford.
LaY-Bore lost for a reason.
The country hated them.
HTH’s.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
dont get me wring.. i hate the scumbag herald too.
like the “interview” with the gf of the poor 17 yr old guy that got killed friday.. blaming the police… how bout blaming the piece of shit that caused all the trouble?
oh yeah, hes innocent til proven guilty.. maybe PB will take him in
January 25th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I hate to agree with greenfly (and I mean I really, really hate to), but I also think that the reaction here would be different if it were Sue Bradford opening her home to a violent gang member rather than a National MP.
Now, I hate Sue Bradford with the fury of ten thousand suns, but I’d feel the same way about Bradford doing this as I do about Bennett.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Sorry to put you through that Christopher
January 25th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I might be trying to be reasonable, but you’re totally aceing being a nut-job. Get out side and such in some sun, I think you need the vitamins.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I also approve of the Minister’s actions to date but like Christopher I think she has made a major mistake( though with the best of motives} This guy won’t change and both she and her daughter will have plenty of grief down the track.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Paul Marsden posits:
While I’m always quick to leap on the “justice” system for its failings this isn’t one of them. A judge can order an underage offender to live with the family member who could be considered the “responsible” (and I use that term purely in the legal sense) parent. After all, I’m sure the single mum in question was only too eager to put her name down for the welfare benefits and child support payments that came with the child. Thus the court can require her to earn her keep, as it were.
However they have no power to make such an order in regard to an adult offender or a juvenile offender and an adult who isn’t responsible. Especially if there’s no bloodline relationship.
Thus there is no doubt that his living with her as opposed to being incarcerated on remand was with Ms Bennett’s consent. Indeed for the judge to be aware this was an option, she would have had to have asked for it (either directly or through the offender’s lawyer).
Having raised four children in a “westie” type area I know how difficult it can be for parents to fight the overwhelming influence of a young person’s peers when virtually all those peers are not of a type with whom you’d like your child to associate. Personally, I wouldn’t enable that association (even though there’d be no effective way to stop it) by inviting such a person into my home.
Perhaps Paula Bennett is more altruistic than I, and also couldn’t afford to move at the time her daughter was forming these unfortunate relationships. In her position I’d now be offering my daughter and grandchild a much better life away from those influences on the condition “daddy” got kicked to the kerb, but in the final analysis other people’s families aren’t my business, or that of the HoS.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Greenfly – I don’t think many are really lauding PB either. As I said in my earlier comment it’s a ‘WTF’ decision she appears to have made.
I also said there are many worse examples of parenting than your daughter getting knocked up by some gang fuckwit – like your kid killing themselves perhaps?
January 25th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
It is interesting how a display of compassion by a National MP should engender such angst amongst Kiwiblog contributors.
A couple of points:
1. The Judge would not have bailed the son in law to Paula’s property without her consent
2. Westies are not some group of inbred violent idiots. Some of my best friends are westies and they are intelligent, community minded and environmentally concerned people. Besides the son in law was an Aucklander not a westie.
I am getting quite confused, westie Nat solo mum MP who talks about letting solo mums take their time in getting off the benefit, a party that acknowledged at the highest ranks being “Labour lite”, and compassion being expressed for a person who has been convicted of a serious crime. I wonder when the national supporters are going to get fed up with all of this and decide to support a party that actually has a strong law and order policy as Labour did under Goff?
January 25th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Oh dear, all the Nat types suggesting that this piece of shit is just a poor misguided youth with a record as long as my long arm.
If a piece of shit like this started hanging around my seventeen year old niece, he would be told that wiping his arse with a couple of broken arms could be difficult.
And that it would be in his interest to fuck off to other places, West Auckland comes to mind.
This is being tough on crime, keeping a piece of shit out of prison before his trial in a MPs house when the prick has a long record.
Whats next, will it be government policy that government MPs have to have a least one misguided types who is up for GBH living with them.
Thank fuck we get sod all of the Westie types arriving here in Central.
January 25th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
“Thank fuck we get sod all of the Westie types arriving here in Central’
are you talking ‘Central’ as in police station?
January 25th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Patrick Starr, yes if that piece of shit had topped himself it would have saved a lot of trouble all round.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Grumpy – are you talking ‘Central’ as in police station?
January 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Patrick Starr, heh, nope Central Otago, jaffas tend to stand out a touch here, it’s the loud braying voices they all have, and the two heads, four arms etc.
Hell, it is bad enough when my mob come down from the Hokianga, it has the neighbors believing another Nga Puhi war party has arrived.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
ah ha – ‘Central’ is a jafa reference to the main police station
January 25th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Micky, Greenfly and the rest of the Pinko’s.
Lets have a closer look at this….
Paula takes in low life scum who just happens to have knocked up her daughter, the Justice system sees fit to allow this low life to stay with Paula.
So we have justice taking its course and there is no suggestion of political interference.
Now lets look at Len Richards.
Assults a member of the public with a megaphone in full view of Police and is filmed committing the act, Clark has a word with high rankling police officers and nothing happens.
Hmmm..there is a word for that I think….
January 25th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Now now big bruv, we all know the truth of that situation is that that nasty violent protester was lucky not to have been charged with aggressively headbutting poor Bruvver Len’s megaphone the way he did.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
go paula, street brawling, being called a slag by michelle hewittson, gangland affilliation innuendos, your credentials for Minister really are something else. Dont stop keep going dont let those bastard journalist put you off, PM next.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Come in big bruv. No one was suggesting there was any political interference in the process either for Paula’s son in law or Len Richards. I was just pointing out that some of you must be spewing that a national Minister had the temerity to offer compassion to someone subsequently convicted of a serious offence.
I think it is a good thing as is National’s movement away from hard right policies to the stage now where they are no more than Labour lite. Of course strong principled leadership is vital now but hopefully Barack will do for the world what Key will not do for New Zealand.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Radar It certainly says something about the values the girl was raised with that she is in a relationship with a violent gang member. If any of my kids ended up in the same situation I would consider it a serious parental failure on my part. I don’t know anyone can feel any differently.
Just for the record I want to say that a neighbour of mine is religious, has a husband of many years, took their kids to church every Sunday for 20 years. You couldn’t have wished for a better family. Their values could not have been better.
Her now 21 year old son is currently looking at a jail term for drug dealing. You cannot blame those parents, and I feel so sorry for them.
Your children are not your children as the saying goes. Kids are individuals and if they choose to follow 50Cent and not Jesus or whoever don’t blame the parents.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Ruth, sorry but being religious and taking the kids to church every Sunday does not necessarily mean good parenting either. Kids are indeed individuals – and (in danger of sounding like a NASG) how you relate to them, and getting them to understand why good values are important is more important than just demanding standards.
Unless you believe all bad kids are born that way it’s cause and effect
January 25th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I guess I see the demise of our culture and how difficult it is too raise decent children who we can be proud of.
The main issue appears to me to be a spiritual one. Christianity is at the heart of our civilization and without it then we have cut off our roots.
I actually believe we need a return to the values that made us great.”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, Love thy neighbour”. They are the values that underpin our western civilization.
Indeed a return to God by the people of this nation is what is needed. All else is just commentary in my opinion.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
You Kiwiblog folk are softening. You sound compassionate and tolerant. Of course you always were, it’s just now you are able to express yourselves through the situation Paula and her daughter find themselves in. Soon, you’ll be calling for tolerance in all sorts of areas – immigration, law and order, international relations…these are exciting times! It’s practically a love-in here! I’ve some very tinkly Morris Dancing bells for anyone who feels the urge to express their inner joy.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
This is really disgusting David Farrar. I would have thought that the nephew of a National Party MP would have more moral integrity than this. You know, after the National Party’s brilliant display of moral duty over the electoral finance act, i really had them (and of course by extension, their families) on an unimpeachable ethical pedestal.
I bet this guy listens to rap music as well. Probably something as immoral and devoid of principle as the following track:
http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=cMAAAJ-HcLs
January 25th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Cause and effect, yes, but there are certainly more than a few potential causes than just “parenting”.
“The influence of parents and peers on aggressive behavior among children following violentvideo game play was investigated. Boys in two age groups, grades 1-2 and grades 5-6 (n = 75 ineach), were randomly assigned to one of three discussion topic conditions: peer disapproval ofaggression, parent disapproval of aggression, or neutral topic. Each boy played a violent videothen took part in one of the discussions. Participants were then observed while playing in a roomcontaining toys classified as aggressive or non-aggressive. Time spent playing with aggression associated toys was taken as measure of aggressive behavior. For younger children, only parental influence resulted in a lower level of aggression, whereas only peer influence reduced agression in older children.”
(from http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/masson/Report_2Factor.pdf)
“The teacher ratings of the children’s behavior followed a very similar pattern, confirming the behavior observed in the laboratory. So it seems that some strategies used by mothers have some small effect on children’s behavior, but few fathering strategies show any effect at all [and of course, since these are just correlations, the strategies themselves may not be causing the results]. When the researchers statistically corrected to consider the mother’s strategy, the fathering effect disappeared entirely.”
(from http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/05/parents_influence_on_kids_beha.php)
“Judith Rich Harris says a child who grows up in a disciplined household is just as likely to become unruly as one raised in a chaotic home, if the child mixes with poorly behaved classmates at a young age, The London Telegraph reported Thursday.
The British government has unveiled plans for a national “parenting academy” that will lead research into raising children and create classes to improve the bond between fathers and sons.
Harris said outside influences “such as popular culture, friends or street gangs have a much greater influence on children than family life or even genetic make-up,” the newspaper said.”
And so on…
January 25th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I agree Patrick Starr.
I have had my own problems with my kids and am inclined to think ‘there by the grace of God go I’.
I’m just mentioning the religious upbringing because many here seem to blame Paula as a mother for her child’s decisions.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Scott, are you fucking joking, just look at the amount of misery around the bloody world caused by religious so called sects.
Bollocks to Christianity, the only true believers now are the bloody retailers at so called xmas.
You Christian bludgers expect we heathens to pay for the local body services you get for your bloody churches
Guess what, we owe you bible bashers nothing.
Oh by the way, Palin has a new name, it is now Bible Spice Palin, fits well.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
“And so on…”
Judith Rich Harris is a one issue nutter. When will you commies ever be truthful? I’ll tell you. Never. Deceit is your lifeblood.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
no, no grumpy – the brutal lynchings of african american people in the deeply christian southern United States show that, if everyone just believed in the Judaeo-christian god, we would have a peaceful and morally correct society. That much is obvious.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
A filthy lefty in central??? You must be a god-damn pariah
January 25th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I dont know how you can compare our Paula to Sarah Palin. Palin is pale compared to our Paula. Our Paula can out brawl Sarah any day and there were never any allegations Sarah was a slag. Besides Paula has connections not wonder shes not afraid.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I have had my own problems with my kids and am inclined to think ‘there by the grace of God go I’.
I agree Ruth.
Does anybody here know the reasons that Paula took in this guy?Has she told anybody here?It strikes me you are all rabbiting on about nothing.
No doubt,this strong marvelous lady had her reasons,why should she share them with you lot?
Get a life people!
January 25th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
RB:
“When will you commies ever be truthful? I’ll tell you. Never. Deceit is your lifeblood.”
This is a true statement. Now, let’s see your head explode from the logical paradox.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I no longer buy newspapers — and I only read a few on the web — but I have a business in which papers are sold, and I may stop that as well. I stopped selling the Herald a few weeks ago, and I may soon stop selling the rest. At some point we centre right folks have got to get off our butts, bite the financial bullet, and stop being part of the problem. And selling (or buying) papers that do not reflect our basic values, and in fact scorn our values, is, in loony lefty speak, “enabling” the very things we dislike to continue.
The left has a right to say whatever they want, but we on the right do not have a responsibility to help them say it.
Please join me in saying NO to newspeak.
January 25th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
The tone of your post clearly and necessarily implies that you do not agree with RB. Since the true intent of your post was to claim, in essence, that Deceit is, in fact, not the lifeblood of Communists, you are being untruthful.
Therefore, no logical paradox arises.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Lou says He now longer buys newspapers.
Me too!
I was addicted to Granny Herald once.No longer!The standard of most journalism is crap,and biased.
Television is worse.All the news could be reported in 10min.I tried Prime,but no.
The web provides more information,biased and not biased.And entertainment!
But we do need our papers,they are excellent fish and chip wrappers!
January 25th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
bait, mate, what are you all foaming about now? Any comments about the other stuff I quoted, apart from that mean girl who scares you? And what is your position, anyway? Are you saying that it’s all about the parents how kids turn out?
That’s a lot of questions, I know, but I’m hoping in your next little tantrum, you may answer at least one of them by accident.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
“Therefore, no logical paradox arises.”
Only by ignoring the actual meaning of my words, and assuming (divining as a “clear and necessary implication”) I must mean (have as my “true intent”) the opposite of what I say. So RB’s words become an empty tautology, as any evidence they are not true automatically becomes evidence that they are.
Well, that’s far better then.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I’m in Paula’s electorate and voted for her in the past two elections but this appears to be a lapse in judgement on her part.
Maybe she likes the kid; didn’t want to create ructions with daughter; didn’t want to jeopardise future relationship with granddaughter; didn’t believe the incident warranted a GBH charge; or all of the above. But GBH is the little brother to murder.
What if john Key had taken in his daughter’s Mongrel Mob boyfriend who was facing serious cirminal charges?
January 25th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
What a load of crap AG.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Thanks for contributing, D4J. It’s a tribute to this site that the dumbest man ever to operate a computer still can find a place on it …
(That’s you I’m referring to, BTW … in case you are confused).
(“Confused” means “not quite sure who is being talked about”)
January 25th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Eisenhower, John key has more intelligence and common sense, and his daughter has more class and common sense. I dont know how you can even utter this as justification for Paula’s actions. Get a life. You can make every excuse you can for Paula but dont drag in others who have more intelligence.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I made no comment on that one way or the other. I was simply pointing out that a logical paradox doesn’t necessarily arise.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Eisenhower says What if john Key had taken in his daughter’s Mongrel Mob boyfriend who was facing serious cirminal charges?
If Johh Key had taken in someone like that.I guess he would have had a very very good reason.
Thank god,some politicians are real people,not PC drongos.
January 25th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
AG & cohorts I thought blogging was for informative, interesting and witty comments and not so you can show your intellectual inadequacies (wank, wank paradox, wank, wank, empty tautology, wank, wank, true intent etc…..). Are you failed journalists………..
January 25th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Roger nome, now be fair Roger, they did lynch those sooty types with xian kindness.
Such as, are you sure that noose is comfortable dear boy.
Damn, good thing we did not have lynchings in NZ for chasing those tasty Pakeha girls, I may have been in trouble.
Hold on I married one, been in trouble since
January 25th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
“I was simply pointing out that a logical paradox doesn’t necessarily arise.”
Fair call, provided certain (and actually quite reasonable) assumptions are allowed. I was just trying to blow up RB’s brain … would make for a very small detonation, though.
January 25th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Why are we not hearing the pinko’s screaming “this is a private family matter”?, why is the left wing media reporting something that has nothing to do with Pauls’a ability to do the job?
After all, the media refused to look into the sham that is the Clark marriage and they sure as hell ran for cover over the Peter Davis LAX incident.
January 25th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
BB.
Here’s a suggestion. One thing actually happened, the other was a feverish wet-dream concocted by a bunch of over-excited mopes who never quite left their teenage years behind. And you seem to overlook the Herald’s pinnacle of journalistic excellence … “do you like sex?”
OTOH … as a proud pinko, I agree this is a ridiculous beat-up of a story which shouldn’t be anyone else’s business. Are you happier in your heart now? Are you truly at peace?
January 25th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
The Peter Davis saga would be a mind blowing best seller. When is the truth going to emerge?
AG – does a proud pinko wear a Aids badge?
January 25th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
RB and I share a lot of the same views, but TBH even I get tired of the constant stream of “there are communists under the bed” vitriol..
January 25th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
“The Peter Davis saga would be a mind blowing best seller. When is the truth going to emerge?”
C’mon, D4J … you’re a good capitalist aren’t you? Here’s a gap in the market! You should write it!! And find a publisher!!! You’ll make millions!!!! Which you can then give to your lawyer and pay out in damages for libel. D’oh!
“does a proud pinko wear a Aids badge?”
No – I’m with Kramer. I choose not to wear a ribbon. (That’s a pop culture reference. If you get it, great. If not, it doesn’t matter … but you really should watch more quality TV.)
January 25th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
“RB and I share a lot of the same views, but TBH even I get tired of the constant stream of “there are communists under the bed” vitriol..”
There we are … who said men from the left and the right couldn’t find common ground in this day and age? And all it took was RB to do it. Is that ironic, or just plain weird?
January 25th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
I’d call it poetic
January 25th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
“I’d call it poetic”
As in the sort of limericks inappropriate uncles tend to tell at weddings? Certainly not Homeric … unless we mean Simpson.
January 25th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
FWIW – Radio NZ National’s 1700 bullettin has now grasped the essential points of the Herald’s article and is pushing it for all it’s worth, and as usual is hitting the buttons – ‘gangs’, ‘gang related’, ‘serving time, for violent offending’, ‘jail’ etc, etc, etc – the usual. No doubt the Six O’clock TV news will embroider it further and a certain Mr. Locke (or ‘the Bradford’) will be asked to express a viewpoint. ‘Impartial and dipasssionate reporting”? I have my doubts.
January 25th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
so was this guy on welfare for those 6 months?
bruv – your attitude shocks me.
January 25th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Komata
“No doubt the Six O’clock TV news will embroider it further and a certain Mr. Locke (or ‘the Bradford’) will be asked to express a viewpoint. ‘Impartial and dipasssionate reporting”? I have my doubts.”
Tell me, do you offer predictions on tomorrow’s weather as well? It’s just, I’d like to know if you think it’s going to be sunny, so I can pack my umbrella.
January 25th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
OMG I’m a leftie and I’m disgusted by the Herald reporting this. WTF has it got to do with Paula Bennett’s ability to do her job???
Man, if this keeps up I’ll be agreeing with Redbaiter shortly
January 25th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Dime
Why do I shock you?, I am simply pointing out that Paula has done nothing legally wrong, I also believe that she has a right to privacy.
Now if you ask me do I think she has done the right thing then the answer is a definite no, had it been my daughter this low life had knocked up I would have invited the young man around for a chat, the minute the fool rang the door bell I would have shoved a gun into his groin.
Because I am a fair man I would have given the prick a choice, he could a) Leave my daughter alone for the rest of her life or b) he could choose if I shot him in one ball or both.
I find that diplomacy is the best way to sort these things out.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I believe that I said it was a family matter back up the page. But I’m not sure I’m a pinko though. What’s the retirement plan like?
January 25th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Well well, all the nutters are out tonight. What a surprise. Combine Maori, Gang, Prison and Pregnancy in a single thread and it goes nuts. Where’s Lindsay Mitchell? She’d be fairly frothing about this surely…
Best of luck. Tantrums is what Red does… that is until the Sherry’s gone!
January 25th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
PW – Best of luck. Tantrums is what Red does… that is until the Sherry’s gone!
LOL – thanks for the explanation. I have spent the last year wondering what the explanation for him and that Phil Best character were. Up until now, I just assumed they were taking the proverbial. But now that sherry is the explanation, I understand everything!
January 25th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
big bruv (2366) Says:
I find that diplomacy is the best way to sort these things out.
I agree but the choice I would have used would not have included the first option, just left, right or both.
January 26th, 2009 at 12:02 am
I don’t see that Paula gets much choice in who her daughter chooses as a partner, and her “crime” seems to be allowing him to live with her a couple of years ago”
I agree David, the Only “crime” i see here is allowing a father to spend time with his Partner and Child ( if it was born ) before he goes and pays his dues to society, to be honest it sounds like Mr Halaholo has more back bone than the Labour caucus as he has manned up to his responsibility’s and taken his punishment.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Banana Llama notes
So you’re saying Halaholo could have picked up the phone, called his tame Commissioner, and instructed that he not be prosecuted?
He didn’t “man up”, he committed grievous bodily harm on someone who couldn’t fight back, then he copped a sentence for it. I get lambasted here for my views on prisons and punishment and even I don’t think serving time should be optional
January 26th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Banana head you make Paula sound like a victim of circumstances, we are all victim of circumstances, but how we are judged is on the decisions we make for ourselves and those around us. A minister should have sound judgement formost especially if you are in charge of a billion dollars of tax payers money and in charge of the most vunerable in NZ, that is the issue, has she got sound judgement? I would not like to think we have a victim for our minister who could not help herself. As they say if you cant help yourself how can you help others.
January 26th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
No he did, sorry if you can’t see that Rex.