Government minister Paula Bennett in hospital

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Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has been admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia and bronchitis.

Bennett, MP for Waitakere, was admitted this afternoon after feeling ill for most for the week.  She is an asthmatic, which exacerbates the conditions.

"She's been unwell throughout the week and it's gotten worse,'' a spokeswoman said. ''She tried to carry on and get to things she had to do but we all said 'stop'.

''The doctors told her today she actually needed to go to hospital.''

Bennett does not want people to know which hospital she is in and the spokeswoman said it was not known how long she would have to be in hospital for.

National MP Tau Henare tweeted a message saying Bennett was working too hard and told her to ''take a rest".

- © Fairfax NZ News