KEY POINTS:
The woman who has punched a huge hole in Labour's West Auckland stronghold credits her success to being a "proud Westie and a scrapper".
Entering Parliament three years ago off National's list was not good enough for Paula Bennett.
Instead, the 39-year-old set her sights on being elected
an MP by the Waitakere electorate, where she has lived since 1992.
On paper, this looked a difficult task.
Labour rival Lynne Pillay had a 2005 majority of nearly 5000 votes, which was double that of her 2002 win.
Ms Bennett expected a swing towards National to eat into that margin but yesterday she was able to point out, with a proud smile, that she had not only taken the seat but also increased her personal vote tally by more than 2000 to 12,493.
People had put more ticks beside her name than they had for National in the party vote.
At her first attempt, the party vote was about 500 greater.
Some commentators say National's winning Waitakere despite its adjoining stoutly Labour seats, should not surprise, because it is more middle class than working class and has a history of swings.
Older residents recall when their MP was Labour's Ralph Maxwell and that he eventually lost to National's Marie Hasler.
But the new Waitakere MP has other ideas for her win: "I think it's the result of three years.
"I've run an electorate office here, haven't turned anyone away, done all the work and I've run a full-on positive campaign."
Ms Bennett has taken starkly contrasting stances on cases close to the heart of Ms Pillay.
When her rival sponsored the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Protection Act, Ms Bennett spoke against it.
As National's spokeswoman on early childhood education, she exposed pitfalls in the Government's 20 Hours Free scheme for early childhood centres.
She has also highlighted lapses in Waitakere Hospital's provision of 24-hour accident and emergency services and taken the residents' side over the hot local issue of where commuter trains can park overnight.
"I look at the facts and go with my gut instinct - and then I go in for the scrap."
A bubbly personality, frankness, and pride in personal achievements have come to the fore at her campaign meetings.
She says she is proud of her Maori and Pakeha ancestry; her background as a single teenage mother and working in menial jobs until the turning point - studying and graduating in social policy at Massey University and then a business career.
It explains her interest in welfare and education.
"Having been a single mum myself, I have strong opinions on welfare dependency and what it does to one's spirit and one's potential.
"So I went into Parliament with high ideals of turning people's lives around and then went Whoa! This is tough. I might start with children."
Ms Bennett has also held associate spokeswoman roles for labour and industrial relations and for community affairs.
But as to her role in the new Government, she says: "I don't mind. It's up to the boss, isn't it?"
