National's Mike Butterick, Labour's Kieran McAnulty and the Greens' Celia Wade-Brown are among seven candidates in the Wairarapa electorate.
The race for the Wairarapa electorate currently held by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty is heating up, with seven candidates vying for the seat.
Hawke’s Bay Today asked candidates what they see as the main issue affecting Central Hawke’s Bay, and what they will do about it.
Early voting is now under way for the October 14 general election.
Geographically, the Wairarapa electorate covers a huge area, including a large portion of Central Hawke’s Bay such as Waipawa, Waipukurau, Takapau, Pōrangahau and surrounding areas. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Pete Arnott (New Zealand Loyal)
Lives in Pāhiatua
It would be easy to say that clean-up, compensation and rebuild [efforts] after the devastation suffered recently would be the issue of concern for Central Hawke’s Bay.
I want to ask the tough questions about why we are not better defending and preparing for extreme weather events, and why are there ticking time bombs of forestry slash parked around local hillsides?
In keeping with NZ Loyal’s mission of being people’s representatives, I ask: Why are the people not being listened to and being heard?
On behalf of local people and all New Zealanders, NZ Loyal and I will be calling out conflicts of interest and regulatory capture and all other corrupt activity.
[But] as your local people’s representative, I am not going to assume anything about what the pressing issues are.
Why would I do that when I could instead consult and collaborate with the real experts? And by real experts, I mean people on the front line.
Mike Butterick (National Party)
Lives in Homebush (near Masterton)
The biggest issue for people in Central Hawke’s Bay is the cost of living crisis driving up the cost of everything from mortgage repayments to groceries and fuel.
The Labour Government is spending 80 per cent more, which is over an extra $1 billion each and every week, all while delivering worse outcomes.
The National Party will rebuild the economy, and we have a 100-point economic plan focused on fiscal discipline and outcomes.
We will also deliver tax relief into people’s back pockets with our Back Pocket Boost plan, which will see an average family with kids up to $250 a fortnight better off.
National will also stay focused on the things that are important, with our policies on law and order, health and education.
We also need a faster and fairer cyclone recovery for those still dealing with the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Simon Casey (Act Party)
Lives in Carterton
The largest issues for Central Hawke’s Bay relate to infrastructure.
The council has put a lot of effort into the sewage treatment facilities in both Waipawa and Waipukurau at significant expense.
But with the small rating base, the load on the ratepayer is too high.
Act will allow councils to enter into public-private partnerships to help fund these essential services.
It will also give half the GST raised from development projects back to the council to help them fund the infrastructure required for such developments.
Also, the ability to get things done in the region is a real problem.
As an example, Act’s Tukituki candidate, Rob Douglas, has a subdivision within the Central Hawke’s Bay district, and it has taken him 18 months to get the paperwork completed for a physical build phase which is estimated to take only four months.
Act will reform the RMA [Resource Management Act] into two parts ... [and] significantly reduce the cost and timeframe associated with housing development.
As part of our policy on adapting to climate change, Act would support water storage proposals such as the Ruataniwha Dam.
Jared Gardner (Independent)
Lives in Pāhiatua
The most important issue in the Wairarapa electorate and country as a whole at the moment is mental health.
Why I say that is because people are the most important thing.
Without them, there would be no Government.
Because people are the most important thing, it is a reflection of our society and therefore the Government when we don’t love our neighbour - those we come across in our daily lives - as ourselves.
Mental health is far-reaching... only by establishing the reason for the mental health issue can it ever be healed, through the understanding that we can be wronged by others, just as we have the ability to wrong others.
Then healing can come by forgiving those [who] have wronged us, and thereby we are forgiven. For good always overcomes evil.
Currently, the Mental Health Act allows for no such process to take place.
The first step in this process is to allow non-drug treatments that actually heal and make people well, that are available in other countries, to become a legitimate treatment option in New Zealand in the Mental Health Act. I have started a petition for this.
Kieran McAnulty (Labour Party - Incumbent MP)
Lives in Masterton
There is nothing that annoys me more [than] someone [who] comes up from Wairarapa and comes to Central Hawke’s Bay, and talks about Wairarapa and leaves.
I’ve always been really focused on, while I’m MP, recognising that Central Hawke’s Bay is a distinct part of the Wairarapa electorate and deserves as much attention as [anywhere] else.
I intend to continue that. I think the biggest issue for Central Hawke’s Bay, just like the rest of the country, is [the] cost of living.
We are out there talking to people on their doorsteps about our plan versus one that doesn’t stack up from the other side, and [which] won’t deliver what they are promising because they can’t pay for it.
But everything - it doesn’t matter what the topic is, it could be education, it could be roading, it could be health - everything is within the context of Cyclone Gabrielle and recovery.
While Central Hawke’s Bay may not be the most affected area of Hawke’s Bay, it is still on people’s minds, and [engenders] the context by which they look at everything else as well.
Celia Wade-Brown (Green Party)
Lives near Carterton
The biggest issue in CHB is a combination of climate change and the cost of living for people on low incomes.
Visiting Cental Hawke’s Bay, the damage from Cyclone Gabrielle can still be seen, but I’m proud of the support our Government has provided.
The Greens’ minimum income guarantee, pledge to renters, free school lunches and free dental care [will] help the cost of living, all paid for by adjustment of our tax system.
The Climate Resilient Communities [initiative] will help towns and rural settlements adjust to unavoidable climate change in ways that are good for healthy communities, with more natural rivers and green spaces.
We have made progress with climate change action, but the pace of change is too slow.
Our Clean Energy Plan slashes emissions [and] makes homes warmer and healthier, while cutting hundreds of dollars off the annual cost of power.
While I’m asking for [the public to] party vote Green, if I’m elected through the list, I will remember the needs of our huge rural electorate and work alongside the electorate MP where possible.
* Te Whakapono Waikare (Te Pāti Māori) did not respond by deadline.
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