Mana electorate candidates pitch their promises on addressing region's biggest issues

Candidates in the Mana electorate, which encompasses much of Porirua, took part in a talanoa ahead of the general election next month.

Representatives from Protect & Prosper NZ, ACT, Labour, National, Greens and NZ First participated in the panel discussion.

Over 48 per cent of the ethnic population of Porirua are Māori and Pacific peoples. Māori and Pacific peoples are also over-represented in areas of the highest deprivation of the region.

When prompted how their party would resolve Mana's biggest issue, Labour's Barbara Edmonds says tackling housing is key.

"The biggest issue facing Mana and Pacific peoples across New Zealand is the cost of living. A big part of that is housing," Edmonds says.

Edmonds named a project called Our Whare Our Fale, spearheaded by the Central Pacific Collective - a community organisation.

She says they have invested $49 million for three hundred Pacific homes "by Pacific for Pacific".

"It's all about the housing you've got to build more to bring down the cost of living."

However, National's Frances Hughes refuted that housing was a key driver of the cost of living issues.

"The cost of living and the amount of debt all of us have accumulated is impacting us," Hughes says.

"But I do disagree. Housing isn't the cause of the cost of living. Housing is a symptom of what occurred," she says.

"Porirua has the second highest rents in New Zealand despite Labour's promise for over six and a half years to build 100,000 houses."

ACT Party's Lily Brown says the biggest issue for Mana is the effects of careless government spending and unaddressed crime.

"With cost of living the government is wasting too much money," Brown says.

"They're spending money and increasing the interest rate without real outcome.

"We want the government to spend less and also we will tackle crime by holding the criminals accountable and putting the rights of victims to the forefront."​

​Green Party's Gina Dao-McLay echoes earlier sentiments that the cost of living is the main issue, but that addressing poverty is the solution.

"I think particularly one [policy] that will support our communities here in Mana is our income guarantee," Dao-McLay says.

She says paying for it through a fair tax system acknowledges the correlation between housing and the cost of living.

"Meaning that we can all have that peace of mind that we'll be able to put food on the table, have a safe place to call home and live a good life."

Former Wellington Mayor and NZ First candidate Andy Foster zeroed in on improving the medical system.

"I think that we've got to focus on building the skills here, either bringing people in with those medical skills or creating more medically trained people," Foster says.

"And so supporting people through the training process with a more friendly approach to things like fees and fee repayment is part of the Party approach which we would take."

Protect & Prosper New Zealand's Kush Bhargava honed in on producing and supporting economic opportunities.

"I'm working with a lot of Pasifika kids and everyone and they were normally getting $20 to $35 an hour," Bhargava says.

"After they came in the building industry they're earning $40 to $50 an hour," he says.

"The second thing is when they go to the bank to get some money to start their businesses or buy their tools no one helps them

"So there are a lot of practical solutions on the ground which has to be solved."

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