The Wellington Socialist Society is pleased to announce Tamatha Paul, Nīkau Wi Neera, and Greg Byrnes as panelists during the Saturday afternoon session of the Second New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies National Conference – Labour Weekend 2024. They will speak to us about their experiences being active left-wing politicians in Aotearoa.

The theme for this year’s conference is “The Dual Crisis in Aotearoa.” The “dual crisis” is the idea that New Zealand has periodically gone through simultaneous crises in both its colonial and its capital foundations. Tamatha, Nīkau, and Greg are at the coal face of the latest “dual crisis.” We look forward to hearing from them about the challenges and opportunities, as they see it, of our current political moment!

Register for the conference here: https://www.socialistsocieties.org.nz/conference/

Tamatha Paul (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) is a Green MP for Wellington Central. In 2018 she was the first Māori woman to be elected President of the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association. In 2019 she was elected as an independent Wellington City Council Councillor for the Pukehīnau/Lambton Ward and was re-elected in 2022 as a Green. Tamatha won Wellington Central for the Greens in the 2023 general election.

Nīkau Wi Neera (Ngāti Toarangatira, Kāi Tahu) is a Green Wellington City Council Councillor for the Māori Ward. While at university, Nīkau was heavily involved in student activism and environmental kaupapa. While working for a year as a Residential Advisor, he successfully unionised his colleagues to secure better pay and working conditions. In 2022 he was elected to Wellington City Council for the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward, beginning his first term shortly after his 23rd birthday.

Greg Byrnes is an independent Environment Canterbury Councillor for the Christchurch Central/Ōhoko constituency. Greg has over 40 years’ experience as an environmentalist, having held environmental planning and policy roles in local and regional councils, and charitable trusts. Most recently he was the General Manager of the Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust, an organisation that has been internationally recognised for its bi-cultural co-management. Greg was elected in 2022.