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Candidates in the upcoming election will be put through their paces at a number of political debates in Mahurangi over the next month.
Maungaturoto, Kaiwaka, Mangawhai, Snells Beach, Warkworth and Omaha will all become hotbeds of political debate. The Omaha Beach Community Incorporated (OBC) will host candidates on September 14 at the community centre.
OBC president and event organiser Peter Hooper has previously run political debates while living in Australia, where he hosted the now Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.
He says it’s hard to differentiate between any political candidates based on media coverage.
“We want to hold a night where you can look them in eye, see the calibre of the person and be in a better position to make an informed decision,” Mr Hooper says.
Mr Hooper will give local board candidates two minutes each to introduce themselves. Council candidates Greg Sayers, Penny Webster and Steven Garner will be asked to answer three questions each and will be encouraged to debate against each other. Finally, they will be asked why the electorate should vote for them.
Mr Hooper has also invited Auckland Mayoral candidate Vic Crone.
He says the Supercity has come under intense scrutiny in Mahurangi, as many believe the arrangement hasn’t been beneficial.
“We feel we are getting a pretty cruddy deal and I want to know how a small town 80 kilometres from Auckland CBD gets noticed under the Supercity arrangement.”
Mr Hooper is also concerned how rates revenue from Omaha is being spent.
“The rates revenue from Omaha is enormous, potentially more than the whole of Warkworth. We get no public transport or economic development opportunities. We also get very little from local board discretionary funding and we are tired of this disparity.”
Snells Beach Residents and Ratepayers Association will be running a similar event at the Mahurangi East Community Hall on September 19.
Association member Maurie Hooper says the competition for the councillor position will make for an interesting event.
“Penny Webster will be given a real challenge this time,” Maurie says. “At the last election there were just two candidates.”
Warkworth and Districts Grey Power is holding a Saturday morning debate at Shoesmith Hall on September 24.
President Anne Martin says some of the questions will reflect concerns seniors have around issues like public transport, but they don’t have a political agenda.
“Grey Power is a political, but we think it is important to make information available so that people can make informed decisions”
