CHB in electorate no-man's land?

Kieran McAnulty, Labour Party candidate, Wairarapa, speaking at a meeting at CHB Municipal Theatre, Waipawa, organised by CHB Positive Ageing Forum and Central Hawke's Bay District Council.

In introducing a Silver Symposium and election candidate forum held in Waipawa yesterday, CHB mayor Alex Walker put candidates on notice that with the current electorate boundaries, Central Hawke's Bay was not getting the representation it deserved.

In 2007 the Wairarapa electorate boundary was extended north to include the towns of Waipawa and Waipukurau, splitting the CHB district between the Wairarapa and Tukituki electorates.

"You would think that this would mean twice the representation," Ms Walker told the assembled National, Labour, Ikaroa-Rawhiti and Green Party candidates.

"But we do not think we are getting that at the moment - we may be the bottom third of the Tukituki electorate or the top part of Wairarapa but we have our own identity and issues and we need support from all of you who represent this area in Wellington."

Her comments struck a chord with Wairarapa Labour candidate Kieran McAnulty who revived his call from his 2014 election campaign for the electorate to be renamed to include CHB.

He said it was not unprecedented, as seen with the likes of the Clutha/Southland or Taranaki/King Country electorates, so why not have Wairarapa/CHB?

"Central Hawke's Bay is a new addition to the north end of the electorate and has been overlooked by our representatives.

"As part of the Wairarapa electorate it's not just about not getting regular access to your MP, it's having an advocate for the services you need in different parts of your community."

He said the concept raised a few eyebrows when he brought it up in the southern parts of the electorate, but that it did not take anything away from Wairarapa.

"It's important we have a representative that reflects your interests and issues, which are different to Pahiatua or Dannevirke.

"By changing the name it would be a reminder of this part of the electorate every day, and that it's just as important as the other parts."

Tukituki National Party candidate Lawrence Yule also touched on the subject, but took a different tack.

"I think this part of Hawke's Bay is in the wrong electorate - over time some things may need to change, and I think this area would be better aligned with Tukituki."

The symposium was organised by the CHB District Council, designed as a forum to discuss the silver economy and how to support older people in CHB, as well as hear from the candidates.