Boundaries for the Coromandel electorate have enlarged to when the late Green MP Jeanette Fitzsimons was once elected, from Miranda and Kaiaua and whole of the Peninsula to the whole of the Hauraki Plains and Omokoroa in the south.
"We need to create a national park, that's something we want to do, on the DoC estate north of the Kopu-Hikuai Rd," said Simpson. "Do you know there are no national parks north of Tongariro and yet three-quarters of our population lives north of Tongariro. I think a national park would give that area great protection, designation and status that it deserves."
The candidates faced questions from the floor, putting their knowledge of a wide range of legislation and economic, social, environmental and ethical views to the test.
Immigration policy, foreign corporate investment and home ownership in New Zealand, support for farming while protecting the environment, foreign superannuation schemes being taxed, recycling and product stewardship were all raised.
Studio owner Gaylene Clark asked how overseas investment could be restricted as New Zealand motels continued to be sold to overseas owners, particularly in light of the use of motels for quarantine and by Work and Income.
Labour candidate Nathaniel Blomfield's reply began with the understated quote of the event when he said: "That's a tricky one."
Hauraki councillor Anne-Marie Spicer asked what can be done to bring more of the mining royalties money into the community of Waihi, which had just marginally raised from 10 to 9 on the deprivation index: "a pretty miserable ranking really", she said.
"I know that royalties are spent on infrastructure like roads and hospitals. We would really like to see something that benefits us as a community, across the road we have a sports hub that's taken us years to get going through a group of volunteers working really hard putting in funding applications and mining royalties could've gone into something like that.
"Mining royalties could've gone into job training programmes, what can you do for us?"
"I'd love to chat with you after this, maybe we can come up with a plan," replied NZ First's Erika Harvey.
"Get rid of the global corporates, throw them out of the country and create our own business enterprises for kiwis, simple as that," said Outdoors Party candidate Steve Hart.
"The reason it's not done by successive governments is that with how our tax system is structured ... everything goes into the consolidated fund and governments decide how that fund is spent, but in principle I think it's a conversation worth having," said National MP Scott Simpson.
A palliative care nurse asked the panel about the proposed end of life choice act: "Do you really understand the consequences if this comes through?"
A "fifth generation New Zealander" said he'd tried, but: "cannot buy land in the Philippines, Japan, China. Why on earth are we selling off New Zealand for short term gain and long term pain?"
South African-born New Conservative candidate Michael Egleton said the party's policy currently was to restrict foreign investment and place a stamp duty.
Advance NZ's candidate Tony Brljevich said if the vacant homes in Auckland that are mostly owned by Chinese nationals were forced into sale over 24 months and into local hands, it would solve the housing crisis quickly.
"Our party is concerned about sovereignty. We need to retain ownership of our country, full stop."
