Local Focus: Rhia Taonui on Candidate Camera

Watch the full Local Focus interview for Rhia Taonui's views on the city's biggest issues, and our less important quickfire questions.

"Environmental circumstances" are playing a part in the city's pothole issue, says Rhia Taonui, a candidate for Palmerston North City Council.

"We've had a lot of rain, you know. Climate change is an interesting subject as well from a Pasifika perspective."

Taonui says a lot of the Pasifika community don't understand the concept of emissions since they've never had "emissions at home", but Pacific families are "living the brunt" of climate change, and suggested communication would help bring the Pasifika community into the discussion.

"We need to include all our communities in what [climate change] looks like in their language."

Public transport is another important issue for Taonui, who suggested the council could increase the frequency of services to make public transport "more viable for our community".

"The half price transport fare is actually really helping, and I've seen quite a few people use public transport for that. We [could] in some way transition that to a free transport service."

Taonui's favourite book is a children's horror story written by her daughter. She enjoys relaxing to opera and R&B music.

Some other councillor candidates were not available to be interviewed and others chose to not be interviewed by Local Focus.

Some other mayoral candidates were not available to be interviewed and others chose to not be interviewed by Local Focus.