The Napier seat will be hotly contested at this year's General Election. Photo File
A_WB240120NASH2.JPGFirst-time runner Katie Nimon enters the Napier race at no.45 on the National Party list. Photo Supplied Katie_Nimon.JPG
Napier candidates asked for your vote this week during the Hawke's Bay Today election livestream, produced by Indelible Creative Studio.
Here are highlights from the livestream - you can also watch it again on the Hawke's Bay Today Facebook page.
Deborah Burnside (New Conservative Party)
Opening line:
I see being an MP as a position of service, and that's the role I've been in my whole life.
Cannabis referendum
No. I'm not going to vote for 164 pages of legislation that doesn't necessarily address the things that people are concerned about around cannabis.
End of Life Choice referendum
No. I definitely cannot support dying at the hand of a doctor.
Single biggest issue facing Napier?
In this post-Covid environment, and let's hope at some point it will be truly post-Covid, it's actually got to be the economy. I know health is important. I know infrastructure and roading is important. I know that housing is important. I know that people having enough money to feed their children is important. But if we don't have a strong and thriving economy, if we don't have everyone in secure, meaningful work, well then we can't fund those things adequately ... I know that farming and horticulture and everything that we do here is vital to this area. So as an MP, how do we help that? Well, when we get down to Wellington we support and we fight for that.
Closing words
I'm going to use this minute to actually say thank you to everyone who has helped me in this campaign. They have been absolutely outstanding. I've been involved and worked in other political campaigns and I have never, ever seen the level of support that I have received, so I just want to say thank you, every single one of you. They have delivered pamphlets, they've made phone calls, they've supported me, they've been outstanding. I said at the beginning by the time we get to election day, which initially was going to be the 19th of September, that I would have done everything, every single possible thing that I could do to put myself in front of Napier, and to give them confidence in giving their vote to me. I can say that we've done that, and you've been awesome. Everyone, thank you.
James Crow (Green Party)
Opening line:
Kia ora Napier. I am standing as your candidate for the Green Party. My young family and I live in Ahuriri.
Cannabis referendum:
Yes. I look at it on the balance of how many things we can leave in the shadows.
End of Life Choice referendum:
Fundamentally the Green Party says there should be dignity at all stages of life.
Single biggest issue facing Napier:
Climate change. What we have experienced this year has been a taste of what can happen ... wildfires, famines, issues around food supply. Global warming is well on its way ... and that's going to pose a challenge for the region. A lot of what we do requires committing as much water, and fuels and fossil fuels to get the job done, and that is a challenge because we still want to see a thriving economy. Our clean, green image has lost its sheen, outside of tourism. Regenerative farming is a key thing the world is asking for.
Closing words:
I am here to represent the Green Party in Napier. Here for the questions, here for the answers. As I said we are fundamentally at a crossroads, it gives our country a lot of challenges but also means a lot of opportunity. A lot of opportunity for innovation ... but it can't be at the risk of our environment, the risk of our community ... We need a bigger, greener heart. We want to see a cleaner, greener Aotearoa. There for the planet, there for the people.
Ian Gaskin (Independent)
Opening line:
I've been interested in drug law reform with Peter Dunne and United Future for many years.
Cannabis referendum
Yes. If you're a drug addict, cannabis is only one drug, and I think the whole subject should be all drugs.
End of Life Choice referendum
No. We should start with the abortion issue before we look at any other issues on the right to life.
Single biggest issue facing Napier?
I think poverty is the biggest issue, and the way around it would be to increase benefits and pensions by at least $100 a week ... If you give the consumers money, consumer spending will lift the economy faster than anything else. It's terrible, we don't need this poverty, we can avoid this poverty. Going from a $1000 a week job down to $220 like I had to through sickness, it's impossible. It's disgraceful that you put people into a poverty trap like that. Increasing benefits, let Māoridom have their pensions at 60 years of age, give consumers the money to spend, and you'll see small businesses thrive.
Closing words
I believe that now is the time to bring in drug law reform. One in five houses in Napier is impacted by drug abuse. We've got to break the cycle, and if we break the cycle by getting doctors and chemists involved, we're going to make safer communities, and we deserve safer communities. We need pensions and benefits to increase because this is government-made poverty and there's no need for government-made poverty. Even subjects like child obesity, we're the second-worst country in the world for child obesity. It's simply bad management, we need to change. We've been social leaders in the world before and we can do it again so I'm for drug law reform, benefit increases, pension increases, and tackling the problems of social inequality that just are terrible now.
Judy Kendall (Act)
Opening line:
I'm proud to stand for the Act Party as they hold the values and principles that I hold dear.
Cannabis referendum:
I don't like the idea all. As a nation we embrace things, we are experamentative and I think by legalising it, more people will start experimenting and possibly they are the people who can least afford it.
End of Life Choice referendum:
For me it is a difficult one because now I work in the hospital I see both sides of the coin.
Single biggest issue facing Napier?
Bullying and mental health in the biggest sense. Act Party have announced a policy whereby it is our intention to introduce a new "mental health only bill". There are many facets of health that need fixing but I want to focus on mental health.
I want to focus on mental health as I have had people come to me where bullying in businesses is rife and also ageism, being told you are too old for the job.
I am going to focus very, very severely on that and I will be asking severe questions of people.
I want to bring together experts who are better qualified than me in mental health and I want them to talk to businesses where these issues are rife.
I will raise these issues to the roof tops of Parliament.
Closing words:
I have a lot to accomplish. I come unencumbered. I am here for the people of Napier. It is a service and I've made that clear by saying "vocational".
So if you want a government that will restore honour and integrity into Parliament and a party that also believes in honour and integrity. Then Judy with a Y – Y, because you can.
Stuart Nash (Labour Party)
Opening line:
I've been the local MP here for six years and it's been an absolute privilege and a pleasure to represent the people in Napier, in Government and around the Cabinet table. I am asking for your party and candidate vote.
Cannabis referendum
I'm not going to tell you the way I'm voting on this one. There are very strong arguments for both sides and I understand both of them.
End of Life Choice referendum
Yes. 65 per cent of Napier constituents wanted me to vote for it, 15 per cent wanted me to vote against it and the rest didn't care either way.
Single biggest issue facing Napier?
I would say investing in our people. A lot of the topics we've talked about tonight – gangs, people living in motels, people disenfranchised – come from a lack of opportunity and I think what we need to do is understand what drives self-worth, and most of it is actually feeling as if you belong in a neighbourhood, belong to a community, and the way that is done is investing in people and investing in jobs … what we're saying to young people is there is a future for you in this country and there is a future for you in this community …we've invested in young people and let them know there's an opportunity, let them know there's a job ... then I think what we begin to do is remove the incentive to belong to a gang.
Closing words
First of all I'm asking for your party vote. I think in Jacinda we've got a leader who can drive us forward from response into recovery. I think we've got a leader who's compassionate who brings communities together who understands what New Zealand needs, she's backed by a really good team with a vision. I'm asking you to please party vote Labour. I'm also asking for your candidate vote. I'm incredibly passionate about the city of Napier, I continue to be after six years as your local MP. I think the people of Napier need someone around the Cabinet table - when we're making the really big decisions - is in government putting Napier's case really strongly and getting what we need more to drive our community, our city and our electorate forward. So please, party vote Labour, candidate Stuart Nash.
Katie Nimon (National Party)
Opening line:
The [Napier] electorate is more than just a city; it goes from Meeanee to Matawai. That's really important because so many people I've talked to are astounded, it is really important to remember that it's rural and urban communities that need representing.
Cannabis referendum
No. I work in transport, from a workplace health and safety issue, I mean you're opening a can of worms you just can't shut.
End of Life Choice referendum
I'm still on the fence. But I certainly feel I'm leaning more towards no, based on where the legislation is at currently.
Single biggest issue facing Napier?
A nice broad answer for you is infrastructure. We need to really quickly improve our water infrastructure, our roading infrastructure, our school building infrastructure, our hospital there's a lot that needs to be improved … if you're talking to people in Marewa/Onekawa /Tamatea it's water. If you're talking to people up in the country, especially Wairoa, it's roads, Te Pohue it's the school … we need to immediately to air-condition our hospital and upgrade it. National is going to bring in a national infrastructure bank that finances locally and centrally across New Zealand with long-term intergenerational thinking … now is not the time to stall. We need to be progressing pretty quickly to pay back that debt that we've got and we need to be investing in the future.
Closing words
I will confirm that I am absolutely wanting your candidate vote and your party vote for National. It's really important right now, we are in a massive economic crisis, bigger than anyone can remember, the biggest in a century. The National Party has got a plan, but it's our future you know and Napier knows what Napier needs, not Wellington, and you know what you need, not a politician. It's really important we've got someone who's connected to the people and not just Napier city, the entire electorate, because the people up in Ngatapa do not feel like they connect with the issues that are facing Napier city. They need someone who connects with everybody, not just those out on the front doorsteps. I just want to say that now is the time that we need boots on the ground. We need someone that is connected, we have a plan for the future, and I am part of the National Party future, it's really important that we give the candidate vote to Katie Nimon and party vote to National as that's the only way that you're going to change the Government.
John Smith (Independent)
Opening line:
I've been a resident in and about Napier for 35 years.
Cannabis referendum
Yes. This country should have never included cannabis on the Misuse of Drugs Act.
End of Life Choice referendum
No. To have the medical profession involved in taking life just doesn't add up with me.
Single biggest issue facing Napier?
I'm totally concerned with this whole Covid hoax ... I'm imploring people to look into this subject, don't keep on swallowing the story that's been pushed at us day after day, after day. People, particularly older ones, sitting on the couch being indoctrinated with stuff from the Prime Minister and Mr Bloomfield ... Look into this subject and realise that we've been hoodwinked - there is no virus, there is no illness to be frightened of.
Closing words
I'm standing as an independent because this is the 19th election at which I will have voted. I've had 22 years of following elections, and frankly this constant left-right thing, which is a load of bull anyway, they're actually just two wings of the same bird. So I offer an alternative. I am well read, I've been into history, I've been into the whole health scene for many, many years. I'm in good health myself, I've got years of service ahead of me yet to help people. And therefore I believe that I can do a better job in Parliament than those who are actually tied to party lines, who might in fact say the right things when they're talking to constituents but when they're actually in Parliament they're brought under the control of the party whips.
The meters helped identify undetected leaks under houses and streets.