Local Focus: What do candidates say are Whanganui's biggest issues?

In this Local Focus video, we asked Whanganui's Labour, Green and National candidates what they believe to be the single biggest issue facing their electorate.

Steph Lewis has a straight-forward answer: "Jobs, jobs, jobs."

Alan Clay said the Covid crisis is pulling Whanganui together as a community. And it shows the power of creative communities and activities.

"You get to know your neighbours and you express yourself, and in that process, you build friends and community."

MP and National candidate Harete Hipango said it was Covid as well, though she took a more conventional approach.

"The tidal wave flow-on effect of that is unemployment," she said. "It's about opportunity for people to keep feeding our families. We can't keep being reliant and dependent on the state to keep doing that for us."

Also standing in the Whanganui electorate:
• Jonathan Marshall for the New Conservatives
• Heather Marion Smith for Social Credit
• Charlotte Weber for Advance NZ
• and Hillary Kieft as an independent

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