Rotorua and Waiariki election candidates (from left) Fletcher Tabuteau, Todd McClay, Lyall Russell, Tamati Coffey and Annette Skyes enjoyed a robust debate. Photo / Ben Fraser
In terms of a Rotorua political debate it had everything - hecklers, honest debate and audience participation.
Yesterday's combined Grey Power and U3A (University of the 3rd Age) election forum held in the Concert Chamber attracted about 250 people who were not shy to ask questions from the floor and put candidates on the spot.
At one stage a man going by the name of Neil was ejected from the room by MC Russell Harrison for his poor conduct when he ended up swearing at the candidates.
Four of the five Rotorua electorate candidates attended - National's Todd McClay, New Zealand First's Fletcher Tabuteau, Labour's Tamati Coffey and Act's Lyall Russell - with Conservative Party candidate Michael Davidson making it two no-shows in a row after missing the Chamber of Commerce debate on Tuesday.
The Mana Movement's Annette Sykes found herself alone at the Waiariki table, with Labour's Rawiri Waititi, the Maori Party's Te Ururoa Flavell and the New Zealand Independent Coalition's Pat Spellman not taking up the offer to speak.
Ms Skyes realised much of the audience were not on the Maori roll so encouraged them to vote for Mr Coffey and give their party vote to Internet Mana.
Mr Russell also stressed the importance of strategic voting, saying voting for him would be a waste of time, but urged the audience to vote for the Act Party and Mr McClay.
He said Act would win the Epsom seat and only required party votes from its Rotorua supporters.
The temperature in the room increased when the candidates had the chance to debate issues such as building warrants of fitness, the income gap and GST on food and rates bills.
"The Government continues to burden our district councils, loading them with more and more requirements and more and more red tape," Mr Tabuteau said.
"This means, for people like you on a fixed income, rates continue to increase... our commonsense answer to this is we will remove GST from rates," he said.
When asked about better wages and skills for age care-workers Mr McClay said it was very important to make sure care-giving was a career "for the future".
"Tony Ryall announced a few weeks ago an additional $40 million to be put in to the care sector and it's our expectation that must go directly towards those who work in care and their wages," he said.
When asked about lowering electricity prices Mr Russell said the Act Party would leave it up to the free market.
"We are not going to pick your winners... or put big wind turbines all around Lake Rotorua because green electricity is not the cheapest electricity.
"Let the private sector decide... by getting the market to compete with each other taking out all the regulations and restrictions so electricity can be competitive," Mr Russell said.
Mr Coffey was asked what actions he would take to stimulate the local economy.
He said Rotorua had become the poor cousin in the Bay of Plenty.
"We have a plan for all of those kids walking around doing nothing, it's called the dole-to-apprenticeship scheme.
"We are going to offer the dole to an employer who takes on an apprentice. It's a win-win situation."
Ms Sykes was asked about a liveable income for superannuitants.
She said high food and power prices were hurting the elderly and the National Government had no sense of social responsibility.
"With the pensions our elderly are on it's making it very difficult for them."
She said with her party's tax policies, which would see high income earners paying a lot more tax, the elderly would benefit from better healthcare.
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