Greens defend meeting with Mongrel Mob as National Party condemns engagement

During a community-focused election hui, Green Party candidates Hūhana Lyndon and Michel Mulipola sat with Mongrel Mob lifetime member Harry Tam, joined by Te Pāti Māori representatives Oriini Kaipara and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. National Party justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith seized on the encounter, alleging the Greens were putting gang interests ahead of victims and profiting from community misery. Green co-leader Marama Davidson defended the outreach, saying the party has repeatedly engaged with marginalised groups and that such dialogue is essential for democratic inclusion.

She added that the Greens also regularly meet with those harmed by current government policies, such as housing cuts. Kaipara, posting on Instagram, argued that gang affiliation does not erase family ties and that presence at the hui was about recognising whānau, not endorsing all gang actions. The dispute highlights a broader political clash over how parties should interact with New Zealand’s gang communities.