Young councillor goes Green

Wellington City councillor Tamatha Paul is making a run for the Wellington Central seat at this year’s general election, with the backing of Green Party co-leader James Shaw.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson, who is the electorate MP, recently announced he would be running on the list only. Shaw has been the Green candidate for the seat since 2011 but said he was making way for a ‘‘new generation of political leadership’’.

Paul (Ngāti Awa, Waikato Tainui) still needs to be officially selected by the party on February 16 but intends to run seat-only, forsaking a list position – meaning if she does not win, there is no other way she can enter Parliament. ‘‘It is an all or nothing thing,’’ she said. ‘‘I don’t want to be an MP for the sake of being an MP. I want to amplify and advocate and represent our city to the fullest.’’

It is expected to make for an interesting election campaign, with the candidacy still open for Labour and National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis announcing in November she would Ōbe running for hāriu instead of Wellington Central.

Paul said Shaw asked her to consider standing. ‘‘Wellington Central is a major Greensupporting electorate. I think I have got a really good shot.’’

In the 2020 election, Robertson pulled almost 60% of the electorate vote, while Willis brought in 17.9% and Shaw came in with 17.7% of the vote. In the 2017 election, Robertson got 49%, Willis had 26% and Shaw had 15%.

Paul was re-elected to the council last year on a Green Party ticket, after being first elected in 2019 as the city’s second-youngest councillor, while running as an independent.

She is one of three Pukehı¯nau/ Lambton Ward councillors and chairperson of kōrau tūāpapa environment and infrastructure committee. Paul was previously president of the Victoria University students’ association.

She had spoken to Wellington mayor Tory Whanau and colleagues, and was ‘‘pretty confident I can continue to perform my duties while campaigning, without my campaign impacting my job’’.

Whanau, a former Green Party staffer, said she was ‘‘a bit sad’’, given what a wonderful councillor Paul was.

‘‘It would be a loss for council. ‘‘That is more a testament to how good she is at her job.’’

Whanau would be especially sad to lose Paul’s voice as a young wāhine Māori from council and the environment committee but was supportive of Paul’s bid though.

‘‘In the end this is an opportunity for Wellingtonians to decide, to vote on where her talents best sit. Is it with council or Parliament?’’

Paul’s talents being employed in central government could be a ‘‘huge benefit’’, she said. ‘‘While I understand by-elections can be seen as a bit of a hassle for residents, that is not a reason for an individual not to stand.’’

Outgoing Labour MP Paul Eagle forced a by-election in 2017 after winning the Rongotai seat while Wellington’s deputy mayor. It was estimated then the cost of running a by-election could be up to $70,000.

‘‘I think I have got a really good shot.’’ Tamatha Paul aspiring Green Party candidate