MP's daughter faces drink driving charge

Photo / Mark Mitchell

Cabinet minister Paula Bennett's daughter Ana will today appear in court on drink driving charges after being caught during a blitz.

The Herald understands Ana Bennett, 22, was caught drink driving about a month ago in Auckland after having drinks at a friend's house.

It is understood she had a breath-alcohol reading of about 516 micrograms per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400.

Paula Bennett said yesterday she was disappointed by her daughter's actions and she did not intend to make any excuses for her.

"I'm disappointed, as any parent would be. I expect her to take full responsibility for her actions."

Ana Bennett is understood to have been with a friend. She did not have her young daughter with her and was driving her own car.

She is not the first MP's child to have been caught out - in 2001, Annette King's daughter Amanda was convicted of dangerous driving causing injury and possession of Ecstasy after she crashed her mother's ministerial car. In 2002, the conviction for possession was overturned and the dangerous-driving convictions were downgraded to two counts of careless driving causing injury.

MPs have also been known to get into trouble themselves - Labour MP Ruth Dyson had to resign her portfolios when she was caught in 2000 with a reading of 744 micrograms per litre of breath, almost twice the legal limit of 400.

Ana Bennett, who lives with her mother and daughter in Titirangi, hit the headlines earlier this year over her relationship with ex-partner Viliami Haloholo, a convicted criminal who is the father of her daughter.

The pair have since split up.