Matu Kahurangi: Tamatha Paul’s radical alliance

Why New Zealanders should be alarmed

Green MP Tamatha Paul has just given New Zealand a clear view into the dystopian underbelly of the far-left. In a move that would make even the most hardened radical blush, Paul has chosen to use her public platform, not to support her constituents, not to advocate for safety in our streets, but to fundraise for People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA), an extremist group openly calling for the abolition of both police and prisons.

This is not some fringe university club murmuring about utopia over herbal tea. This is a group actively lobbying for the wholesale dismantling of the justice system: no police, no prisons, no accountability. And Tamatha Paul, elected to serve in Parliament, is helping them fill their coffers by putting her face on merchandise and handing over the proceeds.

Let’s put this in plain terms: Paul is helping fund a group that believes murderers, rapists, and terrorists should not be incarcerated. That believes police should not exist. That wants to defund Corrections entirely, decriminalise benefit fraud, and ban reincarceration for offenders who break their parole conditions. If you feel like you’re reading a script from a satirical dystopia, sadly, you’re not. This is real, and it’s happening on our Parliament’s doorstep.

The ACT Party’s Justice spokesperson Todd Stephenson asked a simple question: does this represent the Green Party’s views? Paul can’t dodge this one. If she genuinely disagrees with PAPA’s unhinged ideology, then why the fundraising? Why the support? Why allow her name, image, and influence to be used in service of radicalism that would see violent criminals walk our streets unchecked?

She’s tried to wriggle out of it before, claiming not to support police abolition after ACT first exposed her contradictions. But actions speak louder than hastily tweeted disclaimers. Supporting a group whose core mission is police abolition is not a neutral act. It’s a political endorsement.

Even more baffling is Paul’s complaint that she’s received “nothing but complaints” about police beat patrols in Wellington. Perhaps she’s not talking to “normal people” - those who worry about walking home at night, who’ve been burgled, assaulted, or harassed. Maybe her social circle doesn’t include victims. Or maybe her constituents have simply given up trying to engage with someone so detached from reality that she thinks abolishing prisons is a legitimate policy discussion.

This isn’t about reform. Reform involves making the system better, not setting it on fire. What PAPA stands for is chaos. It’s the rejection of law and order in favour of ideological fantasy, where feelings override facts and victims of crime are forgotten entirely. Supporting PAPA is not bold, it’s reckless. It’s not compassionate, it’s dangerous.

Tamatha Paul has shown us exactly where her priorities lie, and it’s not with the safety of New Zealanders. It’s with radical ideology and those who would see this country slide into lawless disorder. The Green Party must answer for this. And Tamatha Paul owes every New Zealander an explanation.

Matu Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on matu.substack.com where this article was sourced.