This was before the claim by Finance Minister Steven Joyce had hardly gained traction on the wider campaign trail.
All the afternoon's speakers wanted good things for the Waikato and all talked about how their policies for New Zealand would deliver for the region.
The main divide was between the three National candidates - Bennett, Tim Macindoe (Hamilton West) and Tim Van de Molen (Waikato) - who listed and underlined what National has achieved in the past nine years on the Treasury benches, and the rest of the candidates who listed what they intended to achieve if elected.
The rest of the candidates - Labour's Nanaia Mahuta (Hauraki-Waikato) and Brooke Loader (Waikato); the Greens' Phillipa Stevenson (Waikato) and Jo Wrigley (Hamilton West); NZ First's Pita Paraone (Hamilton East) and Stu Husband (Waikato); the Maori Party's Rahui Papa (Hauraki-Waikato) and The Opportunities Party's Donna Pokere Phillips (Hamilton West).
Of course to talk about what's good for the Waikato nearly always means talking about what is good for New Zealand so this mostly meant putting a Waikato slant on party policies and promises already announced.
Many aspects of dairy farming got an airing. Is it a sunset industry?
Probably not, but big changes would lie ahead with a change of government.
Whether those changes are for the better or not would depend on which side of the political fence you sit.
Compliance costs, taxes, water quality, adding value to exports, free trade agreements and the TPPA all got at least a mention.
Better deals for small to medium businesses, immigration, unemployment, tax reforms, inland ports and better pathways for young people into industry and business were all raised at some point - as they have been just about everywhere else on the hustings.
The topic of who owns or doesn't own water, and should it be taxed, threatened to warm up proceedings at one stage but the moment passed with parties sticking to their already stated positions.
Labour underscored its priorities of roads, health, affordable housing, education, jobs, climate change, biosecurity and more.
The National team detailed what it has achieved in tangible investments such as the Waikato Expressway, a world class University of Waikato, a revamped Waikato Hospital, fast rural broadband, and infrastructure funding for the new Peacocke subdivision of Hamilton where 8100 houses will be built.
And there's more to come - such as a new medical school in Hamilton - so why not stick with us was National's message.
Not one which won unanimous support from the floor but one that did elicit several smatterings of conservative applause.
About the only things that everyone seemed to agree on were how great is the Waikato and its people and how important it is to take advantage of our location in this farming heartland strategically placed between Auckland and Tauranga.
How we do that - by business, agriculture or tourism, or even agribusiness or agricultural tourism - will be the subject of much more debate.
Will we be zooming about rural Waikato on more super highways or jumping aboard a fast-tracked train service connecting our rural town with the cities? Who knows?
Whatever your views, Agenda Waikato gets this writer's vote for starting a debate that puts Waikato first.
As Agenda Waikato chair Graham Dwyer told the candidates in his closing remarks: "Some of you will be our next MPs; we will hold you to account."
What candidates were asked
These are the questions the Waikato candidates were given.
1. What, in your opinion, makes the Waikato special? What has it got to offer and where is it underperforming?
2. What opportunities were missed in the last 10 years and what shouldn't we miss in the next 10 years?
3. Do you think Waikato has enough central government clout?
4. What policies hinder or help the Waikato - of yours and other parties?
