From left: Youth councillors Ellie Brady and Tatjana Hanne, with candidates Steph Lewis, Brent Miles, Carl Bates, Bill Arnold and Marion Sanson, along with Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke, youth councillor Achim Hanne and Stratford Press editor Ilona Hanne. Photo / Alyssa Smith
From left: Youth councillors Ellie Brady and Tatjana Hanne, with candidates Steph Lewis, Brent Miles, Carl Bates, Bill Arnold and Marion Sanson, along with Stratford Mayor Neil Volzke, youth councillor Achim Hanne and Stratford Press editor Ilona Hanne. Photo / Alyssa Smith
The cost of living, the state of our roads, healthcare, and even drag queens were just some of the topics candidates for the 2023 general election faced from a Stratford audience on Friday night.
The Stratford Press, in what editor Ilona Hanne termed a “fantastic coalition” when she welcomed guests and candidates to the evening event, teamed up with the Stratford District Youth Council and Stratford Positive Ageing Group to hold a meet the candidates event at Stratford’s War Memorial Centre.
“As part of the New Zealand Herald network, our team at the Stratford Press is passionate about democracy, and all of us are equally passionate about keeping Kiwis in the know, hence us joining with our friends at Positive Ageing and Stratford District Youth Council to give you this opportunity to hear from the candidates tonight.”
All current candidates for the Whanganui electorate were invited to participate in the evening debate and all bar one attended. They were: Greens candidate Marion Sanson, National candidate Carl Bates, NZ First candidate Bill Arnold and Labour candidate (and incumbent MP for Whanganui) Steph Lewis. While Act candidate Craig Dredge was unable to attend, he was still represented, with Brent Miles, Act candidate for Taranaki King Country, stepping in to speak on his behalf.
Brent Miles, the Act candidate for Taranaki King Country, was representing Whanganui candidate Craig Dredge on the night. Photo / Alyssa Smith
The evening, chaired by Stratford District Mayor Neil Volzke, began with a half-an-hour meet and greet, where candidates could speak to individuals while enjoying light refreshments. At 7pm the formal part began with each candidate allocated seven minutes’ speaking time to introduce themselves to the audience. Their speaking order was drawn at random, and while youth councillors were armed with a bell to remind candidates of their timekeeping, there was very little need for it with each candidate sticking reasonably closely to their allocated time.
A large crowd filled the room on Friday night, ready to hear from the candidates. Photo / Alyssa Smith
After their introductory speeches, it was time for questions, with Mayor Neil Volzke asking candidates questions from a large collection of questions sent in by Stratford Press readers. With topics ranging from the state of the highways, education and healthcare through to the cost of living and the age of retirement, candidates were put under plenty of pressure on the night.
When it came to a question on the cost of living, candidates were asked to prove they knew what they were talking about when it came to supermarkets and pricing.
In what Neil described as “a little surprise for you in a bit of a light-hearted challenge”, candidates were asked to guess at the price of four items Stratford Press editor Ilona Hanne had purchased from Stratford New World just a few hours before the debate began.
What price would you put on these items - and what price did the candidates give them? Photo / Ilona Hanne
“We are going to test your ability on understanding the cost of living,” Neil told the candidates.
The items were: one dozen free range eggs, a litre of full fat milk, a 500g block of Edam cheese and 2.5kg of potatoes.
Guesses varied greatly between the candidates, with one guess at eggs being around $6 or $7 being greeted with loud laughter from the audience. The candidates’ answers, and the entire evening’s debate, can be heard and viewed on our Facebook page. If you want to test yourself - the correct prices are at the end of this article.
National candidate Carl Bates pictured speaking during the Meet the Candidates event in Stratford. Photo / Alyssa Smith
While some of the questions put to candidates asked for longer answers, candidates also faced a series of quick-fire questions, requiring a simple yes or no, or brief sentence in reply. These ranged from how many homes do you own to do you support sexuality education being taught as a compulsory subject in schools. All their answers, and the entire debate, can be viewed on the Stratford Press Facebook page.
Candidates were asked for their view on the retirement age - should it be raised, lowered or kept the same, to which four candidates said keep it at 65, while Carl Bates (National) said for those born after 1979 it should be raised to 67.
Green candidate Marion Sanson was one of five candidates to speak at Friday's event. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Asked if they support the live export of cattle, all candidates other than Carl Bates (National) replied no. Candidates were also asked if they personally agreed with abortion up to the fetal age of 16 weeks. Green candidate Marion Sanson declined to answer, as did Brent Miles (Act) and NZ First’s Bill Arnold. National’s Carl Bates didn’t share his personal opinion, but stated “National won’t be touching the abortion laws in New Zealand under a government led by us”. Labour candidate Steph Lewis was the only one willing to share her personal view, stating “I believe in an individual’s right to choose what is best for them in their circumstances.”
Steph Lewis (Labour) who is the incumbent MP for the Whanganui electorate was the final candidate to speak for the candidates' opening remarks part of the evening. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Would you take your own child to an event featuring drag queens, and do you agree with this - was another question put to candidates.
Marion Sanson (Green) said she wasn’t sure of a Green policy on it so couldn’t answer. “No, and No,” said Brent Miles (Act), as did Bill Arnold (NZ First). Steph Lewis (Labour) said it was about personal choice, “and I have taken my children to an event where drag queens have been present”. Carl Bates (National) said while one of his favourite movies was in fact the M-rated Kinky Boots, “I think it’s a great movie about expressing entrepreneurial values and how you get things done.” He wouldn’t, however, take his kids to see the movie, he said, adding “we (National) don’t believe that we know everything ... and that we should be telling you what to do in your household ...”.
NZ First candidate Bill Arnold spoke at Friday's meet the candidates event. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Asked should the voting age be lowered to 16, Carl Bates (National), Bill Arnold (NZ First) and Brent Miles (Act) all said no, while Marion Sanson (Greens) and Steph Lewis (Labour) said yes.
Candidates were given a final three minutes to each make their case, with the speaking order again drawn at random. The formal part of the evening then finished, giving candidates and the audience a further half hour to talk over refreshments before the event ended.
Stratford District Youth councillors Achim Hanne, 18, Ellie Brady, 17, and Tatjana Hanne, 15, were helping with time-keeping and sound on the night. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Stratford Press editor Ilona Hanne says she was pleased by the large audience turnout both in the room, and those viewing the live stream at home.
“Since the debate finished, we have seen those video views continue to climb, and it’s great to see so many people are interested in hearing from their candidates. Hopefully this translates to a strong voter turnout in this year’s general election. Having members of Stratford District Youth Council help with this event was great and shows that younger people are just as engaged with politics as other generations are.
“I encourage people to watch the video on our Facebook page and then to follow up with more questions directly to the candidates so everyone has the ability to make a truly informed choice this year.”
Advanced voting for the 2023 general election in New Zealand starts from October 2 and continues to election day on October 14, when voting places will remain open until 7pm.
