By Barry Soper
The twitterati has become apoplectic, fuming at the audacity of anyone posing a provocative question to the patron saint of the poor Metiria Turei.
Why would be want to know whether the father of the child Turei gave birth to in any way contributed to her upbringing?
It's pertinent because if you've admitted to ripping off the taxpayer funded welfare system, as the Green co-leader has, then sources of income at a time she was claiming the benefit should be known.
The question though got short shrift from the MP who refused to speak about personal relationships, adding that she doesn't believe women should be interrogated about those relationships.
It was a curious response, given that anyone claiming any benefit should declare their financial status before it's paid to them.
In fact she took the argument further, telling journalists they were being unfair, asking the kind of interrogative questions that beneficiaries are subjected to all the time.
The same sort of interrogation isn't applied to people getting working for families, she contends, nor is it applied to pensioners.