Local Focus: Waiariki candidates' biggest election issue is Covid 19 recovery

Economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is front and centre of plans for the main candidates in the Waiariki electorate.

In this Local Focus 2020 Election video, candidates were asked for their biggest issue and all three mentioned Covid recovery including jobs and the tourism sector.

Māori Party candidate Rawiri Waititi says it's essential Māori are part of the recovery.

"We've got a policy out there that asks for 25 per cent of the Covid response recovery fund which is worth $20 billion. That's 25 per cent goes to Māori for Māori recovery over the next two years. That's 25 per cent of all contracts goes to Māori business and Māori contractors."

Labour candidate Tāmati Coffey says the single most important issue right now is jobs.

"We've got a sector - tourism – that is suffering now with the closure of our borders. Businesses are having to make the decision about hibernating or just closing and cutting their losses.

"No doubt there are still businesses that won't make it and there are jobs that we won't be able to save and that's my number one focus."

Vision NZ party leader and Waiariki candidate Hannah Tamaki says housing, as well as jobs, are the biggest issues facing the electorate.

Also standing in the Waiariki electorate:
• Rawiri Te Kowhai for the Outdoors Party
• Riki Broughton for the New Conservatives
• Ema Williams for Advance NZ.