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New Zealand

National leads polling in bellwether Napier, but 23 per cent of voters undecided

NZFirst's Napier candidate Laurie Turnbull, National's Napier candidate Katie Nimon, Labour's Napier candidate Mark Hutchinson, ACT's Tukituki candidate Rob Douglas, and debate moderator Damien Grant. At the Puketapu Pub near Napier.

Marty Sharpe/Stuff

NZFirst’s Napier candidate Laurie Turnbull, National’s Napier candidate Katie Nimon, Labour’s Napier candidate Mark Hutchinson, ACT’s Tukituki candidate Rob Douglas, and debate moderator Damien Grant. At the Puketapu Pub near Napier.

It’s hard to know if anyone left the Puketapu Pub on Tuesday night any more enlightened than when they entered, at least when it comes to who they might vote for in the upcoming election.

Some 200 people made their way to the country pub, about 15km west of Napier, for an evening debate hosted by the Taxpayers’ Union.

It was the first of seven such debates being held in various parts of the country in the run up to this year’s election, being moderated by the hosts of The Working Group podcast, Martyn Bradbury and Damien Grant.

Napier, with the resignation of incumbent Stuart Nash, is seen as something of a bellwether seat. Up for the debate were Labour candidate Mark Hutchinson, National’s Katie Nimon, NZ First’s Laurie Turnbull, and, oddly, Act’s candidate for the Tukituki electorate Rob Douglas.

National's candidate for Napier, Katie Nimon spoke of the need to make investment easier in the region and of the need for a four-lane highway between Napier and Hastings. (File photo)

National’s candidate for Napier, Katie Nimon spoke of the need to make investment easier in the region and of the need for a four-lane highway between Napier and Hastings. (File photo)

Before the debate kicked off the audience was informed of the results of Taxpayers’ Union – Curia polling that took place on August 20.

Of the 400 respondents who took part in the poll, 25 per cent said they’d give their party vote to National, 20 per cent would vote Labour, 12 per cent would vote ACT and the Greens and Te Pāti Māori would get 3 per cent each.

Perhaps most interesting was the fact that 23 per cent of Napier voters were undecided.

When it came to the Napier seat, 37 per cent would vote for Nimon, 28 per cent for Hutchinson, 4 per cent for NZ First, and – even though it doesn’t have a candidate – 3 per cent of voters said they’d vote for Te Pāti Māori.

Mark Hutchinson spoke of Labour’s investment in social infrastructure and defended its record over the past six years in spite of having to deal with a pandemic. (File photo)

Supplied

Mark Hutchinson spoke of Labour’s investment in social infrastructure and defended its record over the past six years in spite of having to deal with a pandemic. (File photo)

Some 18 per cent of voters hadn’t decided which candidate they’d vote for yet.

As is often the case, one leaves these events thinking how marvellous it would be if there was one candidate who embodied the best traits of the lot of them; Hutchinson’s considered, rational logic, Nimon’s exuberant can-do-ism, Rob’s incisiveness, and Laurie’s stoicism.

The debate was civil and interesting and entertaining thanks to Bradbury and Grant, and while much of the talk was the usual party rhetoric, there’s no question that those who attended gained a much better understanding of the personalities at play.

Nimon spoke of the need to make investment easier in the region and of the need for a four-lane highway between Napier and Hastings.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF

PM Hipkins is ready to fight back in run up to election.

She defended National’s plans to build more roads, arguing that EVs used the roads and said “we are more productive when we have better roads”.

Nimon spoke of National’s intention to ban gang patches and decried the fact that there were 2.5 gang members in Napier for every police officer.

Hutchinson spoke of Labour’s investment in social infrastructure and defended its record over the past six years in spite of having to deal with a pandemic.

On the topic of forestry and slash, he said he would like to see an investigation into the potential of converting slash into biofuel.

Douglas wanted the rights of victims to trump the rights of criminals and said it was time criminals knew there were consequences for their actions.

One issue all four agreed on was the need to tackle truancy.

Douglas said ACT would require all schools to report their truancy rate by 9.30am each day and said this would be published for all to see.

Turnbull said he was “not a political person” and “I’m more of a rugby league person”, and gave many of his answers by reading from prepared notes.

The former Corrections officer said the punishment for crimes was insufficient and criminals – ram-raiders in particular – needed to be “taken off the streets”.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300955583/national-leads-polling-in-bellwether-napier-but-23-per-cent-of-voters-undecided.html National leads polling in bellwether Napier, but 23 per cent of voters undecided

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