Rivals baulk at Alliance fundraising debate

Right-wing election candidates are crying foul at being drawn into what they have discovered is an Alliance fundraising event.

The fate of "The Great Debate - is Left Right?" to be held at Auckland Girls' Grammar School on Friday was in doubt last night, with Act and National candidates vowing not to help to swell Alliance coffers and Labour being non-committal.

"It is just like their economic policy - it's a sneaky little tax from the Alliance, brought in when you least expect it," said National's Auckland Central candidate, Martin Poulsen.

Although he wanted the debate to take place, he said he had no intention of taking part in "an Alliance fundraiser" and proposed that each candidate share organising costs.

A spokesman for Act MP Donna Awatere Huata said she would not take part unless a door fee of $10 for wage earners and $5 for others was waived.

"If they want a payoff, they can sell cakes and tea at the back of the hall, but how ironic it is that Act wants it to be free and the Alliance is saying it should be user-pays."

Alliance Auckland Central chairman John Hill said it should have been obvious to all that funds were needed to pay costs and his party had put a lot of effort into organising what would be a platform for its opponents in the interests of informed democratic choice But his committee agreed to pay any profit above organising expenses to a charity to be nominated by the Mayor of Auckland and retiring National MP, Christine Fletcher, who will chair the debate.

Mr Hill said the important issue was for voters to consider the differences between the political left, represented in the debate by Alliance MP Sandra Lee and Labour Te Atatu candidate Chris Carter, and the right, embodied by Mr Poulsen and Donna Awatere Huata.