Local Focus: Business or the environment, East Coast candidates don't all try to have it both ways

Green Party candidate Meredith Akuhata-Brown says if you look after the environment, it looks after you.

"That's what's been going wrong for too long," she said. "We've had such a strong focus on a capitalist mindset that's all about making money, producing, any land that's sitting idle we need to make it produce."

When asked which was more important, business or the environment, the Green Party candidate did not hesitate coming out in favour of the environment.

But National candidate Tania Tapsell tried to find a middle ground.

"It's actually our farmers and growers that are some of the most sustainable in the world," she said. "So I really feel sad at how adversely impacted they've been over the last three
years from this government, who has demonised them through policy and punished them, when actually, we have been the most sustainable in the world, which is why we continue to export. Seventy per cent of our exports come from our farmers and our growers."

Labour's Kiri Allan was able to answer the question having been in Parliament and seen some remarkable consensus on the issues.

"Over this term of government, we have seen the introduction of the Zero Carbon Act," she said. "It's really important to note that 119 out of 120 Members of Parliament voted for that bill. This isn't a left or a right issue. It's something that we all see as critical to our wellbeing."

Also standing in the East Coast electorate:
• Jennie Brown for Advance NZ
• Veronica King for ONE
• Helena Nickerson for New Conservative
• Blake Webb for Act

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