Local Focus: Do candidates actually want higher wages in Bay of Plenty?

Local Focus asked three Bay of Plenty election candidates who they think are more important – workers or employers. But it was the follow-up question that got the real answer.

"I don't think it's useful to say one is more important than the other," said National candidate and former party leader Todd Muller. When asked his view on higher wages he wasn't so sure.

"We only can achieve the ability to pay people more, if we're being successful in terms of selling our products and services around the world," Muller said. "First you've got to be
successful as a business and see an opportunity to grow. And then I would hope as you do grow, you can share the success of that growth with your valued employees."

Labour candidate Angie Warren-Clarke is less willing to just hope employers pay their staff better.

"We have the reputation as $10 Tauranga," she said. I think that that's a bad thing. We need higher, good paying jobs, well paying jobs so that people can get ahead."

NZ First candidate Tricia Lawrence said NZ First is about working with businesses to create opportunities for everybody.

"One should not ever be pitched against the other," she said.

Also standing in the Bay of Plenty electorate:
• Pete Huggins for the Greens
• Bruce Carley for ACT
• Christopher Coker for Legalise Cannabis
• Angela Moncur for Advance NZ
• Margaret Colmore for New Conservative
• Sharon Devery for ONE
• Chris Jenkins The Opportunities Party

Made with funding from