tamatha paul is the green party candidate for wellington central

Here at frankie, we really love to have a good chat with some extra-rad people. Tamatha Paul is one of those very people, and she’s working hard to transform Wellington Central into a greener, safer and all-around lovelier place to live. Have a read of our interview with Tamatha below, where she tells us her future political goals and how she winds down after a long day.

Howdy Tamatha! Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m Tamatha Paul and I am whakapapa to Ngāti Awa and Waikato Tainui, currently living in Wellington. I work as a city councillor during the day, and by night I am campaigning to represent Wellington Central as a member of the Green Party.

What’s your earliest memory with politics? I grew up in a small rural town and in an anti-political home. I would never say that my family is apolitical, but I grew up with my dad and grandfather telling me not to believe anything politicians say since they never keep their promises. They were very anti-establishment, which was really formative for me as a kid.

Did this inspire you to start your own career in politics? 100%. From an Indigenous perspective, we’re always going to be suspicious of institutions or systems that have tried to silence us like trying to stop us from knowing and speaking our languages, which severs our connections to the places we come from. It’s still so important that Indigenous voices are heard, because representation on its own is just not enough. I feel I’m in a place where I feel I can represent the voices and experiences of women, Indigenous people and young people, which is why housing affordability, the cost-of-living crisis, safer streets and climate justice is so important to me.

What else helped spark your interest in politics? This is a question I get asked quite a bit, particularly from other young people who are keen to get into politics themselves. But, I think, you really don’t get to choose whether you want to become a politician unless you are rich and have influence already. It always comes down to your community and whether they believe in your capabilities to represent them. I worked my ass off to make my community a better place, and I didn’t have the goal or expectations that I’d become a fully-fledged politician in mind. Honestly, I don’t even like being a politician most of the time! It’s a lot of hard and thankless work, and sometimes people don’t even scrutinise my politics but my personal life which is so frustrating. But the fight for a better world still keeps me going.

Talk to us about being a young Indigenous woman in politics. Being a Māori woman in New Zealand politics is very challenging, since the things I’m scrutinised over are a lot more intense than, say, an old white man in politics. You’re held to such a high standard and you always have to be perfect, every time. You have to be polite, friendly and apologise for things out of your own control, and I refuse to do that. I’ll never apologise for speaking the truth. But, as an Indigenous person, I am guided by the decisions and sacrifices made by my ancestors that made it possible for me to have a voice and participate in the system. It’s really the best and the worst at the same time.

You first began your political career at 22. What is it like starting in politics so young? I’ve talked to a lot of other young people about having to give up your 20s when you’re in this job. I can’t be drunk in public or say certain things because you’re always being watched. I’m always ‘on the clock’, so to speak, so it’s really hard to have a personal life. It’s kind of universally acknowledged that your 20s are for making mistakes and getting up to some crazy stuff which I cannot risk to do, but giving that up to serve a higher purpose does have some benefits. I wouldn’t change anything; I’m looking forward to when I become an old lady!

What are your main policy goals for Wellington Council? The big thing we need is affordable housing, and fixing public transport. Our bus system is especially broken, since we have a shortage of about 120 drivers because they just cannot afford to live here, and it’s the same issue with hospital workers. Frontline health workers, teachers and public transport drivers hold our society together but are so extremely undervalued. The vast majority of people are renters, and so much of their income just goes towards having a roof over their heads. Climate action is also super important to me, especially as a young person. We’ve had terrible flooding, cyclones and not to mention the disaster in Hawaii, and so many older people don’t want to do anything since it isn’t their futures being affected. I’m currently bringing these issues to attention as a city councillor, but I hope to bring it to Parliament, too.

Finally, how do you relax after a long day? Going on walks and being around nature is the best way to decompress, especially after being surrounded by concrete walls all day. Life is so much more than work, and I really try to remember that when I get home. Having a dog is also a great bonus, since he forces me to go on walks and take care of something that isn’t myself. There’s a lot of discipline with my work, but I also don’t want to be doing it forever! I’m always thinking about my succession plan, and bringing other young people to lay the seeds for the next generation.