Matua Kahurangi: Tamatha Paul thinks criminals are victims and Police are the problem

Why the Greens' soft-on-crime ideology is dangerous, deluded, and downright insulting to ordinary New Zealanders

Tamatha Paul, the Green MP and self-appointed spokesperson for the “defund the police” generation, has once again gone viral for all the wrong reasons. In a rambling monologue uploaded by the ACT Party to X, she attacked efforts to clamp down on violent crime, defended shoplifters, and dismissed public safety concerns as if they were a minor inconvenience in her activist utopia

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According to Paul, fining people for shoplifting is “stupid and cruel.” Apparently, holding people accountable for theft is now offensive. In her world, stealing is no longer a crime, it's a cry for help. Oh, and those who dare to want law and order? They’re just part of a system that “criminalises the poor.” Paul is clearly more interested in protecting offenders than victims, branding sensible policies like tougher sentences for coward punches and protections for first responders as “bullshit announcements.” It’s astonishing, she views violent thugs and serial offenders as misunderstood, while painting police as villains.

She doubles down by fantasising about police abolition and criticises a “heavier visual presence” of officers, claiming it makes people feel “on edge.” What she fails to mention is that it’s not police who make people uneasy – it’s the rising crime, ram raids, and repeat offenders roaming our streets that make people scared. If anything, the presence of police is a comfort to ordinary Kiwis who are fed up with lawlessness.

Her arrogance is jaw-dropping. “I don't actually care what you think because the people are with me,” she declares smugly. The truth is, most New Zealanders are not with her. They want safer streets, real consequences for crime, and MPs who care more about victims than TikTok likes. Tamatha Paul represents the worst instincts of the modern Left – prioritising ideology over common sense, and criminals over community safety.

Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.