From a famous family to Tory Whanau’s media advisor: Inside Pearl Little’s Wellington

With high-profile parents in the media industry and a Grammy Award-winning brother, Pearl Little is used to seeing their names in the headlines but not her own.

Little has swiftly made her own mark in Wellington at age 26, having worked as a press secretary for the Green Party, advised Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau, and most recently taking up a role at Octopus Energy.

Her parents Wendyl Nissen and Paul Little have spent decades working as journalists, writers and editors for various publications including the New Zealand Listener and Woman’s Weekly.

Little grew up listening to her mum doing interviews, sitting on her dad’s lap while he wrote his stories and watching the 6pm news every night.

In a sit-down interview with the Herald, Little said she was influenced by her parents’ careers and their sense of fun.

“There were always dinner parties, people were coming around for lunch, my parents were really great at doing this thing where if they had friends around, and I wanted to sit at the table with them, I was allowed.

“I was allowed to listen to the conversations and participate. I was encouraged to express my opinions and my thoughts. I wasn’t banished to my room or the kids’ table.”

Pearl LIttle's parents Wendyl Nissen and Paul Little have spent decades working as journalists, writers and editors. Photo / Jane Ussher

There was also the time when Little was at home alone and invited her girlfriends over for a few drinks which turned into singing Fleetwood Mac loudly. A neighbour called Nissen to complain only to be told: “My daughter’s just having a good time”.

Little was born on Auckland’s North Shore. Her parents have children from previous relationships who were teens and tweens by the time she entered the world so, she was “raised by a village”.

Her brother Joel Little is a former Goodnight Nurse member who famously produced Lorde’s Grammy-winning debut album “Pure Heroine”.

After a brief stint in Sydney, the family settled in a large Grey Lynn villa.

Little was one of just a handful of people in her year group at high school who didn’t move to Wellington for university. She completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at Auckland University.

Pearl Little with her brother Joel Little. Photo / Supplied

Little had no idea what she wanted to do for a career.

“I just loved learning, I got that from my dad, definitely, and he was very encouraging of me to just pick the papers I found interesting.”

Unlike many political tragics, she wasn’t in a student union or Young Labour or Young Nats.

She became more interested in politics when she worked at student radio station 95bFM and interviewed politicians including Dame Jacinda Ardern before she became Prime Minister, former Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye, and then Green list MP Julie Anne Genter who is now the MP for Rongotai.

Her part-time job at university was working in a bookstore.

“When I did end up moving to Wellington, I wasn’t even really looking for jobs in politics. I was looking to work in bookshops.”

Pearl Little at home in her Wellington flat in Newtown. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Little decided to move to the capital at the beginning of 2020 to be with her then-boyfriend. The day before she left Auckland she interviewed for a job at Newshub Nation.

On the road trip to Wellington, she got a call from Newshub Nation’s executive producer - Little had a job as a producer based at Parliament and she was starting in two weeks.

No one could have predicted her first year in full-time employment would also include the Covid-19 pandemic.

Little’s role at the current affairs show was disestablished after her one-year contract ended but there were plenty of MPs looking for executive assistants (EAs) after the general election.

She was willing to work for anyone.

“I just wanted to stay in Parliament.”

Pearl Little outside her flat on the first day she arrived in Wellington in 2020.

At the beginning of 2021, Little got a job as an EA for Green MP Golriz Ghahraman who resigned in 2024 after shoplifting nearly $9000 worth of retail items from high-end stores.

Little said the skills she learnt as an EA were invaluable and led to opportunities like former Green Party chief of staff Tory Whanau asking for help with her Wellington mayoral campaign.

“Ultimately I wanted to help a friend and I did see it as an opportunity to learn a lot and I was interested.”

On the day local body election results were due to be revealed, Little was a bundle of nerves.

“I didn’t sleep the night before. I felt sick the whole day and just being there when she [Whanau] got that call- I just basically blacked out, I don’t remember the next hour.

“But then suddenly it was like, work mode, send the PR, organise all the journalists, it was chaotic.”

Newly-elected Wellington mayor Tory Whanau with Pearl Little (second from right) in 2022. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Little had already accepted a new job as press secretary for the Greens so she didn’t follow Whanau to the mayor’s office.

She wanted to see through a general election with the party and loved every second of it.

“Obviously, it’s a stressful job, you know, it’s long hours, it’s high pressure, the adrenaline.

“When I left, I had a real come down from the adrenaline of not having that every day.

“I think most people who spend a long time in Parliament or the Beehive will tell you that when they leave, it’s a physical adjustment.”

Little’s time with the Greens also included former MP Elizabeth Kerekere quitting the party after she appeared to call a colleague a “crybaby” in a group chat.

After four years in Parliament, Little decided to go from the frying pan and into the fire and took up a communications job in Whanau’s office.

She entered the world of local government at the end of 2023 in the aftermath of the mayor publicly admitting she had a problem with alcohol.

Wellington was and continues to battle a narrative that the city is dying, businesses are hurting in the current economic climate, pipes are bursting, and there has been a vocal backlash to new cycleways and street changes.

Little admitted it was a challenging period to be working at the council.

“I still think there’s so much to love about the city but I do totally also accept that there are a lot of things that aren’t going well.”

One of her favourite things about Wellington is having nature within arm’s reach, including the walkway to her house which is part of the Te Araroa Trail.

“For example, the town belt, where you can go 10 minutes and you have a beautiful bush walk right there inside your city. Or you go out to the south coast, and there’s a literal marine reserve there.”

Pearl Little is also a spin class instructor, who doesn’t drive a car and loves dogs. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Little left Whanau’s office after less than a year.

She was ready for a change after working in politics and is now communications manager at Octopus Energy where she is enjoying becoming an expert on one sector instead of being a ‘jack of all trades’.

Little said she was attracted to the innovation at Octopus and the company’s ethos of making energy more affordable for people.

A Crown observer has subsequently been appointed at Wellington City Council after Whanau’s bid to sell the council’s stake in the airport failed - upending the long term plan and triggering large budget cuts.

As Whanau and her council embark on a challenging six months to reign in spending and satisfy the Government they are no longer “a shambles”, Little is making the most of life outside the political pressure cooker.

She’s a “26-year-old single woman with no dependants”, a spin class instructor, who doesn’t drive a car, loves dogs and enjoys going out for dinner and spending time with friends.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.