Local Focus: Business or the environment? Rotorua candidates want it both ways

Local Focus asked three Rotorua candidates which is more important – business or the environment? The answers reveal three candidates trying to get both - the business vote and the environment vote.

National Party candidate Todd McClay took a leaf out of the Greens phrasebook espousing sustainability. He then went on to redefine it.

"Sustainability is about balance. It's not about one versus the other, and we need to continue to strive to have policies that recognise that business and industry needs to grow to provide the jobs, the services, the goods that New Zealand wants," he said. "But at the same time, we need good policies that protect the environment."

NZ First candidate Fletcher Tabuteau has seen first-hand how businesses have been able to "get that extra margin against their competitors from around the world because we do it smart and we've got a beautiful environment which is a valuable proposition around the world".

Meanwhile Labour candidate Claire Mahon said it was not an "and-or" choice.

"We absolutely need to protect our environment, and without our environment we don't have an economy."

Also standing in the Rotorua electorate:
• Pete Kirkwood for ACT
• Alan Tāne Solomon for the New Conservatives
• Karri-Ann Vercoe-Black for One party
• Kiri Ward for Advance NZ
• Kaya Sparke for the Greens

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