She said Labour had strong policies for the older generation including abolishing secondary tax, which would help pensioners who had a job.
"It's time to put a local MP in here for Tukituki - Labour is local, there's no local in National."
Wairarapa Labour candidate Kieran McAnulty said that in his day job as the Masterton District Council economic development manager and being on the Labour Party policy council, he had played a significant role in developing policies that affected the provinces.
"Labour believes it has a responsibility to invest in rural areas . . . and we need to start thinking about it now."
Aged 32, he used his youth to get the point across.
"I'm 32 and with the greatest respect I will be the only one of the candidates alive in 50 years' time - we need to think that far ahead when we are talking about policies - not a three-year cycle."
Although the "silver economy" was recognised internationally, New Zealand had been slow to catch on, said Ikaroa-Rawhiti Labour MP Meka Whaitiri, noting older people were increasing their contribution as taxpayers and contributing $8.5 billion to the economy through unpaid or volunteer work.
"For CHB to be prepared a strategic response needs to be identified - politicians can often be guilty of forgetting this long-term planning."
She said Labour was conducting "future of work" planning and policy development including making the ageing population a priority, creating more collaboration between business and training and education providers, and restoring funding for night classes and other educational opportunities for adults.
Green Party Wairarapa candidate John Hart said facing the challenges of an ageing population was about dispelling the stereotypes about the elderly and recognising everybody deserved dignity and the chance to contribute to society.
He noted that a 2010 Aged Care inquiry had identified issues with how people were treated in aged care facilities and recommended a star rating system for these and other suggestions for quality support services, but to date the Government had not done anything about it.
Although the Green Party was often tarred as radical he said its members cared and wanted to make a difference and put family first.
Fellow Green Party Tukituki candidate, Chris Perley warned about the corporate, big business economic model that threatened Central Hawke's Bay.
"Central Hawke's Bay is going backwards like lots of other communities - we need to shift the economic model to a diverse value model.
"National supports the cheap commodity model of corporate thinkers who want to grind down people and the environment -someone is making a lot of money but it's not here."
The ageing population could be seen as a threat or an opportunity, said National Tukituki candidate Lawrence Yule.
"It will mean big changes to how we do things . . . personally I think we have to change the way we thing about how older people go through the workforce - it may be part- time or job sharing but we are going to have to employ and use the skills of people that have traditionally retired."
Mobility and transport would also be important and he said National had already put money into the health system.
With the increased costs on the state, coupled with fewer people working to fund it, a rockstar economy would be needed, he added.
Wairarapa National MP Alastair Scott took the same line saying National continued to spend more on health care and superannuation.
"We can only do that with a successful, growing economy."
NZ First Wairarapa candidate Ron Mark said all the talk of the ageing population as a "doom cloud that will suck us down and drain the wealth out of the economy" was not true.
During his time as mayor of Carterton he said he had seen how older people were the ones who stitched together the fabric of society and played a vital role in communities.
"As mayor of Carterton it was clear these retired citizens did not stop working and putting their skills back into the community."
He said that these people had seen how 30 years of trickle-down, right-wing globalism had destroyed the provinces.
"Those are things NZ First will address as we always have," he said.