Election 2023: Whanganui candidates evening hosted by Stratford Press, Stratford District Youth Council, Stratford Positive Ageing

Everyone is welcome to attend the free meet the candidates evenign taking place in Stratford this week.

Are potholes on our state highways your biggest peeve?

Perhaps it’s health care funding that’s making you sick with worry, or maybe taxes and pensions are playing on your mind.

This week the Stratford Press, alongside Stratford District Youth Council and the Stratford Positive Ageing Group, is hosting a Meet the Candidates evening, giving you the chance to meet, and question, the Whanganui candidates for the 2023 General Election.

Whatever you think are the big issues our nation is facing, this is your chance to ask your local candidates what they think about those issues and what their party plans to do to address them.

Voters in the Whanganui electorate have five candidates offering to represent them this year. They are (in alphabetical order) William Arnold (NZ First) Carl Bates (National) Craig Dredge (Act) Steph Lewis (Labour) and Marion Sanson (Green). All five candidates have been invited to the Stratford Meet the Candidates event, which takes place this Friday, August 18.

Each candidate will have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the audience, before facing questions from the floor, as well as questions which have been submitted in advance to editor@stratfordpress.co.nz (please put the word debate in the subject line).

The evening will be chaired by His Worship Neil Volzke, Stratford district mayor, who is no stranger to election debates himself.

Neil says he hopes to see a large audience turnout on the night.

“I really encourage people to come along, as this is a good opportunity to hear from the candidates, to listen to what they have to say, and if people have any questions, this is their chance to put those questions directly to the candidates.”

Doors will open at 6.30pm, when candidates and audience members will have the opportunity to meet and talk and enjoy a hot drink and refreshments. The debate will begin at 7pm.

All are welcome, and we encourage people to put the candidates to the test with some tough questions on the night, as you decide who will be getting your tick in this general election.

If you prefer, you can submit questions in advance via email, however, all questions are drawn randomly and there is no guarantee your one will be asked.

The details:

What: Meet the Candidates for the Whanganui Electorate

When: Friday, August 18 from 6.30pm.

Where: Stratford War Memorial Centre

Details: Questions can be submitted in advance to editor@stratfordpress.co.nz. Please put the word debate in the subject line. Questions will be received until noon, Friday, August 18. There is no guarantee your question will be asked, so if it’s something you really want the candidates to answer, please come to the event and ask it from the floor.