Green Party MP Tamatha Paul, ranked 4th on the party list for the 2026 General Election, continues to leverage her Tokoroa upbringing to inform her work in Parliament. 

In a recent interview, Paul (Waikato, Ngāti Awa) spoke highly of fellow MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, praised the depth of talent within the Green Party’s recent finalised list, and reaffirmed her deep love for her hometown of Tokoroa. 

Paul publicly threw her full support behind Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, noting she considers her a close confidante.

“She’s a good sister of mine and we’ll be announcing some joint policy mahi this year,” Paul said. Paul also expressed confidence in Maipi-Clarke’s current position saying, “that she is an incredible MP for Hauraki Waikato”.

When discussing potential contests for the Hauraki Waikato electorate, Paul was quick to back her colleague.

“I don’t know if there’s any interest out there from others to contest that electorate but I know that I got my sis Hana’s back all the way,” she affirmed. Paul also revealed that she relies on Maipi-Clarke for local concerns, adding, “I’m often hitting her up about issues in my hometown in Tokoroa”. 

Reflecting on the Green Party’s list and the candidates confirmed for the Māori seats, including Huhana Lyndon for Te Tai Tokerau, Tania Waikato for Waiariki, and Heather Te Au Skipworth for Ikaroa Rāwhiti – Paul celebrated the strength of the Māori presence within the party.

“I think anyone in te iwi Māori that had a look at that list and our people who are in that list up high on that list Huhana Lyndon, Tania Waikato, Marama of course, all of that talent, even new faces like Craig Pauling,” she said. 

A deep-seated love for Tokoroa

The 29-year-old MP confirmed that while she loves Wellington, her hometown holds a unique place in her heart.

“Nothing but the best memories. Anyone that will listen to me, I will talk to them about Tok (Tokoroa),” Paul said. “I went to primary, intermediate and high school there, I was the dux in my high school. I’m very proud of my high school”.

Paul acknowledged the challenges in her community, noting the impact of mill closures on career pathways.

“There’s definitely a part of me that feels a little bit of mamae that that’s the reality for Tok and I hope that I can use the tools that I learn here to service my community one day there,” she shared.

She also reflected on the resilience and success found in her community: “In Tokoroa you’ve kind of got two pathways and it’s either you have a really hard time or you just end up being really brilliant and I say that because so many, especially sports players come from Tokoroa like the All Blacks, the Black Ferns, the league players. It’s a melting pot for success but there’s also the darker, harder side which most people end up in”.

Ultimately, Paul attributes her success in politics to the community that raised her: “I was surrounded by really awesome role models growing up there and I had teachers and adults around me who reinforced that we could do anything that we wanted to do and they sacrificed so that I could be in Parliament and be number 4 on the party list and be an MP for an electorate”.