After completing an economics degree at Lincoln University, Paul began his career as an analyst at the Reserve Bank. Following senior level experience working with some of New Zealand’s largest corporates, he established and ran his own company, MoCoM Ltd.

MoCoM specialised in providing business advisory services with a particular focus on investment portfolio management. Other areas of expertise included governance & management processes; strategic and business planning; creation of strategic partnerships; and positioning for competitive advantage.

Paul also holds directorships on several companies.

Paul has specialist knowledge in Treaty of Waitangi settlement processes and was appointed by Maori and the forest industry to lead their respective teams in successfully negotiating an outcome with the Crown to enable the sale of the state forests. Paul was commercial negotiator for Ngati Awa and established the commercial investment framework that manages their settlement.

Paul has also had a successful sporting career as a former New Zealand Maori and Wellington rugby captain. He has continued his association with rugby having held the positions of director, New Zealand Rugby Union and President, Marist St Pats Rugby Club in Wellington.

Top 5 Issues

1. Building a stronger economy
   • Balance the books sooner.
   • Borrow less so we can have lower interest rates for longer.
   • Keep personal taxes lower to encourage hard work.
   • Make New Zealand more competitive so our exporters can sell more overseas and create more real jobs.
   • Encourage savings and investments.
   • Use the mixed-Ownership model to fund infrastructure to help us grow faster.
   • Invest in skills training and tertiary education that gets results.
   
2. Building world-class infrastructure
   • Ultra-fast broadband for greater innovation.
   • More, and better, roads to ease congestion.
   • Investing in more rail and public transport.
   
3. Building a safer New Zealand
   • Staying strong on crime – tougher sentencing, stronger bail laws, and a focus on victims.
   • Keep working to lower the crime rate further so our families are safer.
   • Making our roads safer, so we can keep the road toll lower.
   
4. Rebuilding Christchurch
   • $5.5 billion recovery fund
   • Re-establishing essential infrastructure
   • More construction-related training
   
5. Building better public services
   • Better Schools – identifying and helping children falling behind, school reports in plain English.
   • World-class healthcare –more doctors and nurses, more operations, shorter waiting times.
   • Effective welfare- more people back into work, more incentives to work, payment cards for teens on benefits.
   

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