KEY POINTS:
When Rodney Hide mentioned his Smart car at a meeting about Auckland's shocking public transport in Queen Street's Methodist Church, the 30m wooden cross behind him lit up like a light bulb.
Did God think the ACT leader had had a brilliant idea about what could be done
to improve bus, rail and ferry services in the city?
The audience of about 150 Aucklanders didn't think so.
After the laughter wore off they asked - no holds barred - what the ACT, Labour, National, Green, United Future and Residents Action Movement representatives at last night's meeting were going to do about the issue.
The catty nature of election season was evident as MPs also used the meeting, organised by the politically independent Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) group, as an opportunity to take swipes at each other.
While campaigning at the lectern, United Future Auckland Central candidate Aaron Galey-Young hinted that his intentions to do something about public transport were genuine because "unlike the others sitting in the panel here", his and RAM Maungakiekie candidate Elliott Blade's "salaries don't rely on Government because we're not MPs".
When Mr Hide had his turn he retorted with: "I've never yet met an MP who wanted a vote just for the salary. I've never met an MP on any side of the house who said `Vote for me because it's another job'. It's a great privilege to be a member of parliament."
Labour's associate transport minister Judith Tizard also knocked the former Dancing with the Stars contestant when she spoke about the recent passing of the Public Transport Management Bill which enables the Auckland Regional Council and ARTA to improve the public transport system.
"Although it pains me to agree with Rodney Hide on anything, he did agree with us on the public transport bill."
But the MPs all agreed on one thing: something has to be done about Auckland's public transport.
"I didn't get my drivers licence until I was 23 because I lived in Wellington for five years and I didn't need one," Ms Tizard said.
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if our children had the same choice here?"
But vandalism needed to be addressed first, she said.
"How can we have a good transport system when somebody's idea of fun is going around smashing all the bus shelters? I just find it insane and I don't know what to do about it."
One man asked the panel why they didn't support putting a toll back on the Harbour Bridge and use the money for more buses.
National MP Maurice Williamson said: "It's a bit like charging rent on a house you currently own. I'm a big opponent on charging people for infrastructure that's already paid for."
Another Auckland resident said: "You know your there when your 85-year-old mother uses the bus on a rainy day," to which all the MPs replied with bizarre stories about how their aging mothers did use the public transport system.
CBT spokesman Jon Reeves told the audience he had invited the New Zealand First and the Maori Party to the debate, to which Rodney Hide quipped: "NZ First are tied up with the police."
