Wellington Central
General electorate
Tamatha Paul won by 6,066 votes in 2023 — 3,033 voters switching to a challenger would have flipped Wellington Central.
In the news
Coverage naming Wellington Central or Tamatha, from our tracked feeds.
No coverage naming Wellington Central or its MP yet in our tracked feeds — this fills in automatically as outlets report on the race.
The roster
The defender's record, and who's confirmed to challenge them in 2026.
Tamatha-Kaye Erin Paul is a New Zealand activist and politician who is a Member of Parliament for Wellington Central. In 2018 she was the first Māori woman to be elected President of the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association. Running as an independent Paul was elected to the Wellington City Council in 2019. She joined the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand ahead of the 2022 local elections.
Full MP profileOfficial roles, sourced from parliament.nz.
- Corrections
- Housing
- Police
- Youth
From Parliament's official bills record, as at 24 June 2026.
- Residential Tenancies (Renters' Rights) Amendment
What is this, and why does it matter to you? Any MP can put a written question to a Minister to formally demand information on the record — the Minister must reply, usually within days. It costs nothing and needs no debate, which makes it the main day-to-day tool MPs use to hold the government accountable between bills — especially for opposition MPs, who can't pass laws but can still force information into the open. Which Ministers an MP questions most, below, is a real, numbers-based picture of what they're actually watching on your behalf — worth comparing against what they say they prioritise.
"What feedback if any, is provided to unsuccessful applicants of the events boost fund or the events attraction package, as part of the Major Events and Tourism package, for future applications?"
Reply: My officials advise me that, because the Events Boost Fund was a contestable fund and due to the volume of applications, the feedback provided to unsuccessful applicants was largely generic. It indicated that the event did not comparatively demonstrate particularly strong outcomes or alignment with the Fund’s objectives when assessed against other applications submitted. Officials also offered to meet with event organisers if they wished to discuss the outcome. The Events Attraction Package is m…
"What consideration if any is given to New Zealand ownership, local artist participation, or reinvestment in the local economy when assessing applications for the events boost fund or the Events attraction package as part of the Major Events and Tourism package?"
Reply: My officials advise me that all funding recipients are required to establish a New Zealand-domiciled entity to receive and be accountable for the funding. For all events, the inclusion of local talent (artists or athletes) is considered, and where possible, this is embedded in the investment agreements. The pre-event evaluation and assessment of event applications (for the Events Boost Fund) or proposals (for the Events Attraction Package) consider the level of expenditure in New Zealand, suppor…
"What evaluation, if any, has been undertaken to determine whether applicants of the events boost fund and events attraction package as part of the Major Events and Tourism package deliver long-term benefits to New Zealand’s public and creative sector?"
Reply: My officials advise me that the Events Boost Fund evaluation work is being undertaken using a blend of internal and external data moderation. This is the most cost-efficient solution and will result in a set of independently validated data from a cross-sectional sample that includes a majority of the events in the Events Boost Fund portfolio. The Events Attraction Package includes independent pre- and post-event evaluation work, which will demonstrate the economic benefits to New Zealand. Every …
"Of the applications declined for the Events Boost fund, how many were New Zealand-owned events or festivals?"
Reply: I am advised by my officials at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment that of the declined Events Boost Fund applications, 102 were submitted by New Zealand registered companies.
"Was the Splore Festival application to the Events Boost Fund declined, if so, what were the primary reasons for that decision?"
Reply: I declined an application from the Splore Festival for funding from the Events Boost Fund on the basis that, without attracting new international acts, the event application did not present strong potential for the event to attract more international visitors and that there was stronger support from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited towards other applications from the Auckland region.
2023 result and margin: Electoral Commission. 2026 candidates are added only once officially confirmed — never assumed.