Campaign hui focused on youth

East Coast candidates . . . Labour’s Tāmati Coffey, left, National Party candidate Dana Kirkpatrick (top right) and Jordan Walker of the Green Party.

Tāmati Coffey defended his East Coast candidacy after losing three years ago in Waiariki, Jordan Walker said “tax the rich”, Leighton Walker said she was not a politician, knew nothing about politics, but had people in her heart, and Dana Kirkpatrick advised motorists not to use Parikanapa Road as she spoke about the slow pace of storm recovery.

Wednesday night’s colourful election campaign meeting organised by Gizzy Local focused on youth and also featured music and voter education material.

The youngest candidate, the Green Party’s Jordan Walker, said they had returned from Australia as the country did not acknowledge its indigenous people.

New Zealand was at a pivotal point and needed political parties that would tackle climate change, they said.

The Greens followed ecological wisdom, social ecology and non-violence and would introduce free dental care for all, not just to the age of 30 — the new Labour Party policy.

The party would introduce an income guarantee weekly payment of at least $385 which they specified would be for individuals both in and out of work.

The wealthy would be taxed at a higher rate.

Later questioned from the floor, they said the wealthy were not homeowners, but “the wealthiest few” or “0.7 percent of the country who effectively pay 9 percent tax and who were multi-millionaires or billionaires who paid no capital gains”.

“They need to pay some f..... money.”

National Party candidate Dana Kirkpatrick said her adult-age children were concerned about mental health, access to health services, the environment and climate change.

Ms Kirkpatrick said health and education were among the key issues for her.

National would train more nurses and midwives and pay their student loans in return for a five-year bond to remain working in New Zealand.

Questioned about storm recovery, Ms Kirkpatrick said National would honour the Government’s spending commitments.

But National wanted consenting and the general recovery process speeded up.

As an example, she advised people not to use Parikanapa Road.

Repairs in the area would take four years and that was too long.

Later questioned about the importance of resilience in storm recovery, Ms Kirkpatrick said National would be supportive of such an approach.

Roads and other infrastructure had to be built in a new way instead of continually repairing assets which fell into rivers or creeks or down hills, she said.

Labour candidate and list MP Tāmati Coffey started his kōrero by referencing the nine Labour Prime Ministers and highlighting Michael Savage, Norm Kirk, David Lange, Helen Clark and Chris Hipkins.

Labour would extend free dental care from the current maximum age of 18 to 30.

The eventual aim would be to have universal dental care.

Questioned about political integrity following the high number of resignations by Cabinet ministers, Mr Coffey agreed that integrity was important in politics.

“If I say I am going to do something, I do it. I stand to be held accountable.”

New Zealanders, when meeting MPs out in the community, did not hesitate to criticise or complain, he said.

The list MP was also questioned about why electors should vote for a candidate defeated in Waiariki in 2020.

Mr Coffey said he was also defeated in Rotorua in 2014, three years later upset Māori Party leader Māori Party leader Te Ururoa Flavell in Waiariki, and lost to future Te Pāti Māori leader Rawiri Waititi in 2020.

It was Jacinda Ardern, defeated at her first two attempts to become a MP, who suggested he run again.

Mr Coffey said half of his former Waiariki electorate overlapped half of the East Coast electorate, from Maketu to the East Cape.

He had travelled regularly through that area, knew the issues and was standing to represent Labour’s best ideas.

Vision New Zealand candidate Leighton Packer said she moved from the King Country at the age of five and was “a Coastie inside out”.

She was not a politician, did not know anything about politics, but her heart was with the people, particularly the young.

She wanted her “two beautiful daughters” to be inspired because their mother fought for something worth fighting for.

Ms Packer — with colourful examples — expressed concerns about the “unbelievable” cost of living for items such as food, rent and petrol.

“What is there for our youth?

“I’ll tell you  — nothing.

“Law and order needs to come back. So vote Vision.”

Questioned about  homelessness, Ms Kirkpatrick said education was vital to tackle poverty and intergenerational social issues.

Too many children were not attending school.

Ms Packer said education and training were key issues.

“But is it homelessness or a lack of rehab for drugs and alcohol?”

Jordan Walker referred to the Green Party’s policy of an income guarantee.

Mr Coffey said housing was a complex issue and there was not just one solution. The Government had built homes and also developed relationships with agencies and iwi.