Labour's announcement to give senior high school students free driving lessons and driver's licence tests was applauded.
Party leader Jacinda Ardern said the free lessons would be part of a $50 million-a-year "school leaver's toolkit" that would also include compulsory lessons in "civics" and options in budgeting, work experience and practical certificates such as first aid and hospitality.
Labour's Tukituki candidate Anna Lorck said this would make a huge difference to one of the "roadblocks our young people have been facing".
"A drivers license sets you on the road to independence and to work and this is about making it affordable and accessible."
In 2015 Ms Lorck was right behind Hawke's Bay Today's 'license to drive' series, which examined a number of issues youth faced in the current graduated driver licence system.